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Speaker 1: What is up Fellasico's I am Dana Valley coming at

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you with another twenty twenty five twenty twenty six NBA

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season look ahead. We're on to a small market team

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called the Los Angeles Lakers, which means I get to

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be joined by which I think is We've been doing

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this seven years and I'm pretty sure he's done every

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single Lakers one with me. I might be miss speaking there.

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Jabbari A. Davis, iHeart podcast producer extraordinary. Follow him on

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the social machine at jabbari A Davis. He might be

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different on Twitter, but I'll have the links to all

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his social stuff in the YouTube and podcast description. Jabbari

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Welcome back. I'm so excited to get to talk to

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you this year, as I am every year.

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Speaker 2: How the heck are you doing my favorite, my absolute

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favorite part of the summer every single year. And I'm

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not just saying that I didn't realize it had been

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seven Like in my notes, I even wrote down this

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has to be like year four or five. That's amazing,

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and I'm just honored that I've been able to swindle

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you enough to wor think that I'm the appropriate person

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that have each year.

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Speaker 1: You are the appropriate person, because this team is always

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just true to La. It's always so over dramatic, like

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you just had to go trade for Luca, like you

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could have just had a season like a regular season.

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Speaker 2: No, there's no such thing in Los Angeles. Well, no,

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with the with the Lakers.

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Speaker 1: We don't have to relitigate the Luca trade. I'm sure

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everyone's tired of hearing about that. I want to ask you,

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I think what's been most divisive about them this summer

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is the direction that they've gone in to where the

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big stuff was. They didn't apparently didn't offer Lebron a

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deal that would have extended beyond this year, which Lucas

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twenty six, Lebron is going to enter his age forty

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one season. You kind of get it. But they also

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went I don't want to say the full on placeholder out,

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but they're trying to straddle a very interesting territory of

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we want to be flexible for when the next big

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move is available to us, and so we're not going

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to make any all in moves this summer. With the caveat,

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they didn't have a ton of financial flexibility anyway. So

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just from the saying good bye to Dorian Finney, Smith

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to going with eight and Jake Lavia and Marcus Smart.

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What have you made of their their off season in general?

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Speaker 2: So Dan, I promised myself, I wasn't going to come

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in here for and now I'll edit year seven of

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just lapping up every single thing that they do and

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you know, waxing poetic about the moves that they made.

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I will say this, I was cautiously optimistic, and I

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ended up being right.

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Speaker 1: Uh.

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Speaker 2: I went in given all of you, all of the

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restrictions that they were working with, given the realities of

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that roster that it really needs a full reset at

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some point over the next couple of years, I thought, Hey,

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if they can just add a starting level center, I'd

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actually be happy because I thought, and I thought, truth

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be told, I thought it was going to take all

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of the assets that they all of the real, realistic

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assets that they had in order to do well.

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Speaker 1: In your defense, they tried to give them all to

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the Hornets for Mark Williams at one point. So I

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don't blame you for.

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Speaker 2: That, and I was one hundred percent wrong. When I

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was like, yeah, go ahead, it doesn't I was still roll.

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I'm sure you remember the exchange. I was still rolling

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so high on the Hey we got we got Luca,

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you'll train that. I was like, I don't care, give

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it all.

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Speaker 1: Give it all the way, risk it all.

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Speaker 2: Risk it all. Hey, you know what I've been known

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as a risk it all guy. No. So I say

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all of that to say, did I expect it to

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look like this? No? But am I disappointed in it? No?

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I'm not unproving guys. Uh, multiple guys have you know,

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definitely have stuff to prove. But when I look at

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this roster, it's a lot more balanced and a lot

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closer to what it I hope it eventually looks like

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than it was just two three months ago.

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Speaker 1: I did not like them losing Dorian Phinney Smith on

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the deal that he got because of the two guaranteed years.

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I am very curious to know how much of that

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had to do with him wanted to get back to Texas,

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maybe factoring in the tax difference. But when you start

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to think about it, some of the alternative outcomes would

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have been would you have preferred having Smart Ayton Jake

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Larevia or would you prefer of having Dorrian Phinney Smith?

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And then probably Ayton would have been the one I

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like they could have gotten one of those three guys

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and eight and I assuming would have been the one

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they prioritize, just given the Jackson Hayes PTSD that everyone

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is working through. So I think when you break it

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down that way, it makes their offseason feel a lot

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not just justifiable, but a lot better because I do

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think that I actually do think people are kind of

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overrated or not overrating, but they're kind of just assuming that, yeah,

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if this was twenty twenty one, it'd be fantastic, But

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like Marcus Smart and DeAndre Ayton, neither of those dudes

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are known quantities right now. But again, I think if

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you say, hey, we were able to get these three

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guys instead of boiling it down to Dorrian Phinney Smith

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and let's say one of them, I think that I

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think that's the lens through which to view their offseason,

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and that's if you want to support it. I think

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that's the pathway to saying, like, no, this made a

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ton of sense.

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Speaker 2: Like so one of the things also, well, one of

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the most lanering things about you know what went wrong

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at the end of last year was we got into

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the postseason and all of a sudden it was like,

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not only is do they have a short rotation, they

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have no rotation to where at the end of that

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final game. If I'm not mistaken, not only did he

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play Maxi Kleiba, but he did not play but he

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be and JJ, whom we're going to discuss later on.

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But he did not play Jackson Hayes at all. Like

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to the point where like when when you're at a

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place where you have a legitimate shot to win a

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game and you decide to go with the same starters

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for the entire second half, you probably have a depth issue.

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You probably have you probably have an issue that needs

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to be addressed. And from that perspective alone, yes there

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are question marks for these guys. But from that perspective alone, yes,

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I would rather have more depth at your like you know,

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added youth with with Laravia, again an unproven player, but

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someone that if you squint you can say, like, oh, okay,

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I can see where they were going with that that

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that that could be you know, like you know, he

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could eat up some of those Dory in Phinney Smith minutes.

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You know, if if the fit is right, I'm I'm

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I'm a lot happier with this than I would have

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been Honestly, if they had just gone that route, if

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they had just brought back Dorian. I get it, the connection,

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I get I get the connection with Luca. But quite frankly,

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if it were going to be a real issue, then

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I think they bite the bullet and do that. I

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think because like, let's be real, they went to Luca

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and said like, hey, this is what we got going on.

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If the you know, the fact that they went that

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route tells me that he was okay with Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I'm not only was he okay with it, so he

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signs the extension, but he recruited Smart and DeAndre Ayden,

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so that's a big thing too. And Jake Laavia is

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the player on this roster who's like the most JJ Redick.

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Like if JJ Redex still his podcast, he would devote

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like not all he would say something like not a

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lot of people are gonna know who this guy is,

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but Jake Laaravia is like a pretty big X factor.

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Before we get to the actual basketball part of all this,

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we do have to spend some time on Lebron James.

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What do you make of this entire situation and how

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do you ultimately see it ending? Is this just gonna

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play out this season when we visit it summer. Is

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there a chance for some passive aggressive fireworks here? It

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feels like, I know people have come up with excuses

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like the the Clippers workout post, we're at the Clippers

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logo in the background. Oh that was their old arena.

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Lebron knows how everything is going to be interpreted, so

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I interpreted as at least a little bit passive aggressive.

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But what's just your read on the dynamic between Lebron

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and the Lakers franchise right now?

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Speaker 2: I think we're on the same exact page. I think that,

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you know, like Lebron has been in this league long

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enough quite frankly, for us to like not just no

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his strategies, to just be over it all together. Just

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to be clear, I am not one of those Lakers

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fans or Los Angeles or like you know NBA fans

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that says like, you know what, old man, get the

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hell out of here. But the Lakers made a very

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clear decision when they did not offer reportedly did not

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offer that second year or you know, the opportunity even

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the opportunity to have that discussion they made. They explained

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to him like, look, we see this as we have

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another year. Obviously there's always opportunity to reafvent you eight

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at the end of the day year, but we see

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this as we have one year. So do you want

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this opportunity or do you not? And I honestly think

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did Lebron While he's obviously smart enough to recognize, like, yeah,

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they're they're doing what's in the best interest of the franchise.

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They're not completely hanging me out, but they're not going

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to just be in my corner anymore. And I honestly

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personally think that that bothers him. Do I think that

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it's going to blow up? No, because if he wanted

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to actually technically leave, he doesn't opt in, and there's

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gonna be somebody that's gonna find a way to bring

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him in. He obviously looked at the scenario and said,

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do I love you know? Or do I love necessarily

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not being you know, like your front and center of everything,

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or you're like the biggest thing in the universe. No,

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But does playing alongside Luca give me the probably my

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best opportunity to win. And I think he did that

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math in recognized let me get my fifty million and

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let me get another opportunity that you're like, you're like

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to do this now. If things go and it doesn't,

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you know, like like the fit just doesn't work, or

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you know, you know, knock on your knock on wood,

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Luca goes down or somebody goes down. Hey, we got

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to talk about this again midway through the season, because look,

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Lebron also recognizes it. And this is in respect to

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you know, I understand it. This is this might be

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the final or the best final chance for him. So

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if something goes wrong, we'll be having this conversation again.

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If it goes great, and you know, they go through

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the season, then they make a deep run, whether they

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win or lose, we'll still be having this conversation again

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because at the end of the day, a forty one

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year old Lebron, whether we are we the royal, we

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are tired of the antics or not, is still a

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dang good I edited it because I couldn't remember whether

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you can cuss on here, it's still you want still

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a no, still a damn good player. And you know what,

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as long as he as long as he can still

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be a damn good player, it's it's still going to

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be a conversation that warrants being held.

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Speaker 1: This has to be the inflammatory portion of the podcast.

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Very just simple asked or no to two questions. Is

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Lebron James on the Lakers past the trade deadline?

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Speaker 2: Yes?

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Speaker 1: Is he on the Lakers for the twenty twenty six

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twenty seven season.

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Speaker 2: If they win a title or go to the finals?

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But if not, no, he is not.

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Speaker 1: That's gonna be a huge By the way, I think

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people will probably laugh at me asking that question. That's

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gonna be a huge subplot of the entire season. It's

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gonna cast a pal over success or failure for the

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Lakers that it's just going to be there. Probably have

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enough veterans in there that it won't be a capslock distraction,

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but that's going to be You think First Takes not

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gonna run with this? Is it still called first take? Right?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's gonna That's gonna be tackled at least twice

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a week.

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Speaker 2: It's going to be a constant part of the conversation.

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But you know what, I hate to say this like

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this with if you're a Lakers fan, you're a longtime

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Lakers fan, you are not. This is nothing new. This

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is not your first rodeo this is not the look.

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This is not the first time we've had someone that

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warrants a lot of attention, and it's not going to

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be the last time. So end of the day, just

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go out there and hoop, man, Just go out there

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and hoop. Let you know, first, let first take do

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what first take does. Let the podcasts, uh, you know,

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do what the podcast do. Let's go out there and hoop.

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Speaker 1: What did you make of JJ Redick's first year as

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head coach? Like, what did you kind of take away

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about his guiding principles? Because I think a lot of

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the things that we assumed he would harp on we

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saw something. We saw a great deal of them at

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the beginning of the season, the basics stuff, I mean,

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like the more nuanced stuff. I'm sure you know the

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x's and oh's heads will say, yeah, like he implemented

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all of this stuff. What are just your like takeaways

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though from that year one about his guiding principles as

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a head coach.

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Speaker 2: I think if you if you're being honest, if you're

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being honest about him, you have to acknowledge he did

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a good job and and and and what that means

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can be a lot of different things. To different people.

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But what it means to me is I went into

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it caustiously optimistic and saying, Okay, is he is he

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a dude that's just like getting hooked up because of

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the connections that he has within or is he genuinely

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going to develop into the next young great head coach.

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I was not all in, all on board, but I

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was at least hopeful. He showed me enough in last

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season in managing what was far from a perfect roster

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and dealing with a major you know, roster shakeup midway

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through the year, to which quite frankly, it was not

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prepared for to how he was able to, you know,

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quite frankly deal with, you know, like just coaching Lebron.

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I don't care if they had a podcast prior to this.

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I don't care if there is respect, you know, and

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and reverence prior to this. It's a different conversation when you,

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you know, when you're actually coaching that person. And the

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way that he was able to do that I was

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impressed by. Now I'm not saying it's a plus, you

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know plus, because there were some problems. There were Quite frankly,

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I think that he will learn from the way that

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he handled that rotation down the stretch because regards wardless

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of whether you feel like you can trust you know,

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this player or this player simply isn't picking up the

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you know, picking up the schemes, you have to deal.

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You have to, you know, manage your roster simply better

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you have. You have to work with what you have

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to work with. What you got better than what he did.

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And I think he will do that. But in terms

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of the strategy, in terms of implementing you know, like

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you know, like uh, you know, his his ideology in

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terms of getting the most out of a majority of

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the roster, I think he did that. I just think

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that it can be built upon and I I am

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I look, I'm far more optimistic now, but I'm also

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still I'm still reserving the But he is a hot head.

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And you know what it uh when he starts to grind,

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I at least look over there and go like, okay,

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somebody get JJ, like somebody did, like somebody called him down.

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So basically, he's a young head coach. I'm not expecting

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the world, but he's set up far better than he

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was before.

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Speaker 1: I liked definitely what he Other thing I like most

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is what he the way he used Austin Reeves. I

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think that was easily that, Like people outside of Los

305
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Angeles were talking about Austin Reeves' is like, oh, could

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this guy be an All Star? And it was not.

307
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They weren't being ironic. They did take more corner threes,

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they crashed the offensive glass a little bit more, and

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I actually think they probably would have done more had

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they not been so damn small, like even when they

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had a D They're not especially big team. So I

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was I was encouraged, and I think that was my

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primary takeaway with him. But you're right the playoff series stuff,

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the rotation, playing all those guys in the second half

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of that game against the Wolves year one though I

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know the pressures there because it's La you have Lebron

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all of a sudden, you have Luca year one like

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living and also who did you want like it like,

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had Gabe Vincent played more? Like are the Lakers making

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it to this?

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Speaker 2: No? No, not probably not like and and and I'm

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glad that you said it so that I can follow

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up with that. I'm not saying that they had great options.

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All I'm saying is you can't do that, and and

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and again right, I'm sure he recognizes it.

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Speaker 1: So what were your impressions of We'll get to the

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new protein shake with almond milk Luka in a second,

328
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but what were your initial impressions of just that lukadtriche

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experience in Los Angeles?

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Speaker 2: Okay, So I may disappoint some people here. I was like, Yo,

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this dude is fat and he's still good. But and

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I can say this as the local fat guy on

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this podcast, I'm not shaming. I'm acknowledging that when he

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got there he was out of shape. He had been.

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The layoff was very clear. And also to be clear,

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I understand you're dealing with a calf injury. You're dealing

337
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with a situation like that. You're not You're simply not

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going to be able to stay in you know, you'll

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staying in great condition. So I but I'm pre I'm

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setting that up to say he was still a damn

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good basketball player, even out of shape, even given all

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the crazy circumstances, even likely being disoriented because of the shock,

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you know, the shock or being shocked by you know,

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like by the move, he was still darn good. The

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pieces around on him certainly were not set up to

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you know, like you know, to benefit him and he

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was still finding him. Wait, they still were They still

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win and if I'm not mistaking, like a twenty and

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four run, even though it was very obvious and very

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evident that those parts were not you know, you know,

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we're not you know, jiving. Well, so if you're asking me,

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you know what my initial thoughts were. My initial thoughts were,

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if he just gets into shape, you know, you know,

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which is a different conversation now or do you want

355
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to transition into now?

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Speaker 1: Or well? I think I think it they they kind

357
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of dovetail nicely. Is because there's probably a level of,

358
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all right, are people making too much of a deal

359
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about Luca being in shape? I think they are in

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the sense that we've seen Luca in shape before. A

361
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lot of it is probably when he was coming into

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the league. A lot of it is can he maintain

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that conditioning throughout the entire season and if that's something

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that has clicked for him, which, by the way, I

365
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understand it's different because there's a let they're being paid

366
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millions upon millions of dollars, you weren't. There are very

367
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few people like Lebron James that are taking excellent care

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of their body in their early in mid twenties, like

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he is just he's one of one in so many respects,

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and that includes just the body maintenance, the work he's

371
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putting in. But there's also so why I do think

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people might be overstating, like just the the aesthetics of

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it all like that, get past the aesthetics already, Like

374
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it's just we've seen hyper effective play like they don't.

375
00:17:25,519 --> 00:17:29,640
Nikoliokich doesn't fit anyone's ideal aesthetic. He's the best basketball

376
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player in the world with Luca, though, if I don't

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even wanna say, if the wait stays off, if this

378
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Felk build holds, we might get more blow by Luca

379
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to where he was when you look at like his

380
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two point percentage imploded in La his rim percentage with

381
00:17:44,799 --> 00:17:48,279
Lebron off the floor dropped by more than fourteen points.

382
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If he no longer is reliant on having someone else

383
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who's gonna draw in defenses like that while he has

384
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away from the ball, So while he has the ball,

385
00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,920
if he can get by guys more often, that's gonna do.

386
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:00,799
Like the offense I think they're in. The Luca minutes

387
00:18:00,839 --> 00:18:03,960
were like already pretty damn good last year. That's going

388
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to like we saw that in kind of early heyday Luca.

389
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If that part of him is backed where he's not

390
00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,519
as reliant as I want to generate physical separation or

391
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get to my step back all the time, if there's

392
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just another layer of variance to what's already one of

393
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the most transcendent offensive talents in NBA history. That there

394
00:18:22,559 --> 00:18:24,359
is no overstating mat Ben.

395
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Speaker 2: Last year he was he was operating in what's it

396
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,799
called in traffic most of the time because it couldn't

397
00:18:29,799 --> 00:18:32,119
get by, You couldn't fully get past people, couldn't get

398
00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,559
his shoulders, you know, fully past people. When he was

399
00:18:34,599 --> 00:18:36,319
met at the rim, it was, you know, like just

400
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,119
trying to gut it up there, you know what I mean.

401
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,680
Imagine Luca operating in space and that and that in

402
00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,279
itself for me is exciting as all hell. I do

403
00:18:47,319 --> 00:18:50,119
think you like, like, look, are we gonna suddenly start

404
00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,480
seeing him like NBA jam you know, Leo style stuff. No,

405
00:18:53,599 --> 00:18:55,799
I don't think that's going to be the case. But

406
00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,039
if it equates to more blowbys, if it equates to

407
00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,240
half a sex, you know, extra time or a quarter

408
00:19:02,319 --> 00:19:05,880
second extra space, you know, what I mean, if you

409
00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,720
know a guy that did the defender is usually here,

410
00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,240
but now he's here, and you just have a clear

411
00:19:11,319 --> 00:19:13,519
plaine of vision like like like you know from the

412
00:19:13,519 --> 00:19:16,880
mid range, you know on the other end of the court.

413
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Is it gonna be a lockdown on the fender. No,

414
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But if he can simply just turn his hips, stay

415
00:19:21,279 --> 00:19:25,319
in front of somebody, push yea more switching, all of

416
00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,480
that stuff matters. But more than he like, like even

417
00:19:28,519 --> 00:19:31,160
more than those things. If it all if all of

418
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a sudden in the fourth quarters this you know, he's

419
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,359
looking as fresh, he's looking fresh and not just completely

420
00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,559
beaten and worn down. That stuff matters. I'm not trying

421
00:19:42,599 --> 00:19:45,880
to put dubs on things, but i will say I'm

422
00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:50,079
putting dubs on it. I'm I'm extremely excited about about

423
00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,680
like the condition that he's in. One hundred percent agreed,

424
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,680
it's a matter of whether he maintains it over the

425
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course of the season. But part of me does think

426
00:19:56,279 --> 00:19:59,039
that part of me thinks that, especially at least in

427
00:19:59,079 --> 00:20:01,680
this season. Okay, I'm gonna make a comparison for you

428
00:20:02,839 --> 00:20:05,960
two thousand shack. Phil came you know, Phil came in

429
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,680
and said, hey, get your big butt into shape, do this,

430
00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:10,680
do that, and you'll win. You'll win an MVP and

431
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,599
you'll win your first title. I'm not saying, like, look,

432
00:20:13,759 --> 00:20:15,640
there doesn't need to be a fill in this situation,

433
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,240
even though JJ did straight out say it at the

434
00:20:18,319 --> 00:20:19,920
end of the year, like, hey, everybody's got to come

435
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,200
in championship shape, and you know, like and he was

436
00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:24,279
obviously talking about his you know, his main.

437
00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:24,799
Speaker 1: Guy, Lebron.

438
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lebron, get your gets you gets your

439
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,200
old No, you're talking about Luca and everybody else, of course,

440
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,519
But like the Phil Jackson of it, all is everything.

441
00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,400
It's the expectation, it's the Okay, now it's now I'm

442
00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,440
I've got my feet beneath me. So now let me

443
00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,599
really go out there and show. I'm extremely excited about

444
00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:46,319
what this you know about what this is going to

445
00:20:46,319 --> 00:20:49,839
look like. Again, health is wealth in all of life,

446
00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,839
but especially especially when it comes to like the NBA

447
00:20:53,039 --> 00:20:55,599
NBA court. If he stays on the court, I'm expecting

448
00:20:55,599 --> 00:20:58,400
the MVP season from him. I'm expecting a deep run.

449
00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:02,599
I'm expecting Luca to not show because lucas everybody already knows,

450
00:21:02,839 --> 00:21:05,119
but I'm expecting him to have that mindset of I'm

451
00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,039
about to show you, guys, and that's exciting.

452
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 1: The Other part of his arrival that I find fascinatings,

453
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,039
what have you made of the Luca Lebron Austin Reeves dynamic?

454
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,200
So far? The defense was bad with them on the floor.

455
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,480
Some of that is opponents shot the hell out of

456
00:21:17,519 --> 00:21:20,279
a forty one percent on threes, seventy plus percent at

457
00:21:20,279 --> 00:21:22,440
the rim, But like, what do you make of how?

458
00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,720
And look, he came mid season, so it's tough to

459
00:21:24,799 --> 00:21:26,119
kind of figure that out. But what do you make

460
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,160
of like the level of interplay between them? How? How

461
00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:30,839
do you just like that fit? What are you watching

462
00:21:30,839 --> 00:21:32,559
for entering next season? Wherever you want to take it?

463
00:21:32,559 --> 00:21:35,720
Because I just find their dynamic together fascinating.

464
00:21:36,279 --> 00:21:38,960
Speaker 2: I thought initially there was a redundancy, and obviously that

465
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,759
redundancy still exists, But I thought initially there was a

466
00:21:41,799 --> 00:21:44,799
redundancy that I don't know that it I didn't know

467
00:21:44,839 --> 00:21:48,240
that it justified, uh, you know, like the the lackluster defense,

468
00:21:48,279 --> 00:21:51,519
the inability to you know, put together even a comprehension

469
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,599
or even a competent defensive scheme, just you know, because

470
00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,759
of the weaknesses. But now and after seeing them play

471
00:21:58,799 --> 00:22:02,160
together long enough, I reckonized that, look, these are three

472
00:22:02,319 --> 00:22:04,519
very intelligent, you know, like you know the basketball players.

473
00:22:04,519 --> 00:22:06,359
They're gonna find a way to make it work out there.

474
00:22:07,039 --> 00:22:09,759
The only thing is, and this may be controversial, because

475
00:22:09,839 --> 00:22:12,640
people get people get very sensitive about like their players

476
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,119
and the players that they really like. To be clear,

477
00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,079
and I've made it obvious, I very much like and

478
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,599
value Austin Reeves. I think i'd like like I may.

479
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,720
I made that clear a couple of years ago. And

480
00:22:24,079 --> 00:22:26,359
if I almost feel like it was on this show

481
00:22:26,599 --> 00:22:29,880
where you may have asked me, are Lakers fans putting

482
00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,799
extras on him the same way they used to with Caruso?

483
00:22:33,279 --> 00:22:37,799
And I I I was, we were right about Caruso,

484
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,960
and we're right about we're right about Reeves. But I

485
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,640
think they'd be better off if they staggered those you know,

486
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,400
the staggered those minutes a bit. I think Reeve's coming

487
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,680
off the bench makes a lot more sense. I recognize

488
00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:51,839
he's in a contract year, he wants to get paid.

489
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,400
I watch I have watched incredibly dominant six men, you know,

490
00:22:56,519 --> 00:22:59,359
be highly effective in the years past. I am in

491
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,559
no way carrying him to monogenobly. But I will say

492
00:23:03,079 --> 00:23:06,599
they the spurs of that era, were able to stagger

493
00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:10,000
things in ways to where it benefited them for forty

494
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,799
eight minutes, as opposed to simply just throwing out like

495
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,119
the on paper best starting lineup. I say all of

496
00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:17,759
this saying I don't think they're going to do it,

497
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:19,359
but I think it would make a hell of a

498
00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,799
lot of sense if they would stagger some of those,

499
00:23:21,839 --> 00:23:23,680
you know, stagger some of that by putting, you know,

500
00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,759
having Reeves man, you know man the second unit. He

501
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:28,960
still gets his thirty to thirty five minutes, you know,

502
00:23:29,079 --> 00:23:31,640
a minutes a night. It makes it fit a little

503
00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:36,720
bit better in terms of in terms of like responsibilities,

504
00:23:37,079 --> 00:23:40,279
like on the offensive end, you know, like out the gates,

505
00:23:40,519 --> 00:23:42,759
you don't have the three of them trying to pass. Okay,

506
00:23:42,839 --> 00:23:44,720
it's your turn, it's my turn, this, that, and the

507
00:23:44,799 --> 00:23:47,559
other end, you can get another defensive body in there

508
00:23:47,799 --> 00:23:51,759
alongside Luca, And I think that in itself should be

509
00:23:51,799 --> 00:23:54,119
the reason why they should why they should consider it.

510
00:23:54,319 --> 00:23:57,039
But all of those things together, I think also really

511
00:23:57,039 --> 00:24:00,279
I think, circling back to your your original question, I

512
00:24:00,279 --> 00:24:02,240
think the three of them can work it out. I

513
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:03,559
think they will work it out, and I think it

514
00:24:03,599 --> 00:24:05,720
will look better this year at like as they've had

515
00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,119
more time to play off with one another. I just

516
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,359
think it could be it could be helped along if

517
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:11,880
they found a way to stagger those.

518
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,960
Speaker 1: Minutes, right and if starting is really important to having

519
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,599
all three of them in the starting lineup. But that's important,

520
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,880
Like you could do a quick hook with Reeves and

521
00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:20,759
stagger that way, and like he showed, I think, just

522
00:24:20,759 --> 00:24:23,279
as a playmaker and someone on the ball, if you

523
00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,599
wanted to, I'm sure ideally you want one of Lebron

524
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,119
or Luke on the court at all times. Like you

525
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,440
can get away with just playing Austin Reeves and giving

526
00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:30,240
those two a blow.

527
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,119
Speaker 2: Well see, but that's the thing like when I so

528
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,680
when we say stagger it, I don't even mean necessarily,

529
00:24:37,759 --> 00:24:39,480
but you're right, they could get away with you. I

530
00:24:39,559 --> 00:24:42,680
just mean, Okay, so say Lebron needs an early blow,

531
00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,559
then you have the two of them out there. Say

532
00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,079
Luca gets in, you know, gets a second foul randomly,

533
00:24:47,079 --> 00:24:51,640
It's not gonna happen, but randomly randomly because he reached

534
00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:53,759
a little bit. You know, you can have those two.

535
00:24:53,799 --> 00:24:58,519
I'm saying just manipulate the roster more, uh, to benefit

536
00:24:58,559 --> 00:25:02,599
the whole. Yeah, like the whole like has to be

537
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:04,839
a starter thing. If for for one, if we're if

538
00:25:04,839 --> 00:25:07,359
we're coming with that mindset and we're you know, we're

539
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:12,559
uh putting impetence of on that over the you know,

540
00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,839
the overall product, then we're probably not going to win

541
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,839
anyhow or or probably you know, limiting ourselves anyway. But yeah, no,

542
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,079
I I I I hope it's something that they explore

543
00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:23,559
at some point.

544
00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,440
Speaker 1: So let's go through some of the top three new

545
00:25:27,559 --> 00:25:29,839
editions and I would love to know your thoughts expectations

546
00:25:29,839 --> 00:25:32,720
for them. We begin with DeAndre Ayton, So what are

547
00:25:32,759 --> 00:25:34,880
your expectations for him? What are you what are you

548
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,359
kind of watching and how what have you made of

549
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,680
his reception from you know, media, fans, whatever.

550
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 2: The reception is always going to be funny because anytime

551
00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,880
you mentioned like any player going to the Lakers, it's

552
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,400
going to be yeah, whatever. But in particular a player

553
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,839
that had extremely high expectations maybe fizzled out in one place,

554
00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,160
you know, war out as welcome to one place, and

555
00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:59,640
then fizzled out in another, there's always going to be

556
00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,640
you know, you know, speculation, like, oh he's he's a

557
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,799
bust or even hope from some people that it doesn't

558
00:26:05,839 --> 00:26:07,880
work out. Well, I'm here to tell y'all, y'all about

559
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,160
to be upset because DeAndre Aiden is gonna work in

560
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,920
Los Angeles. I am I saying he's going to be

561
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,079
a twenty five and fifteen guy. No, but particularly because

562
00:26:17,079 --> 00:26:19,359
of the three guys that we just mentioned, all three

563
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:24,920
of them, you know, being capable and likely incentivized to

564
00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:27,680
get him going and to keep him into the flow.

565
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,960
I honestly think I honestly don't see a scenario again

566
00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:35,200
out knock on wood health, you know your barring health.

567
00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,319
I don't see a scenario where he can't still get

568
00:26:38,319 --> 00:26:41,880
his numbers and be fed in a you know, like

569
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,839
in a way to motivate him to stay active and

570
00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:52,880
stay connected on both ends of the court dominant dominating. No,

571
00:26:53,799 --> 00:26:58,720
but but like legitimately a sixteen and eleven guy. Honestly,

572
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,160
I I kind of don't see. I don't see any

573
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,079
way that that does not take place. And if you

574
00:27:04,079 --> 00:27:06,920
can tell me, and yes, Dan, you know it's not

575
00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,440
about numbers, but if you tell me that they have

576
00:27:09,799 --> 00:27:13,559
a solid defensive presence, that isn't just a term style

577
00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,880
and can actually pick somebody up. You'll win one of

578
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,680
the you know, when somebody gets loose, that will serve

579
00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:22,240
as a lot of threat, serve as a guy that

580
00:27:22,279 --> 00:27:24,119
can also hit in the mid range in order to

581
00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,480
you like your space things can simply be a presence

582
00:27:27,519 --> 00:27:30,680
and someone that JJ will actually play, like you know,

583
00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,599
in meaningful minutes when it matters. I would say that

584
00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:36,839
is a you know that that is a positive player

585
00:27:36,839 --> 00:27:37,519
for these leaders.

586
00:27:38,559 --> 00:27:42,279
Speaker 1: I think offensively, they'll probably get frustrated with him at points,

587
00:27:42,519 --> 00:27:45,480
but just because you have the level of creation around him,

588
00:27:45,519 --> 00:27:47,440
like you mentioned him being able to get spoon fed,

589
00:27:47,839 --> 00:27:50,079
I think that's going to end up being perfectly fine.

590
00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,640
And like you said, sixteen points a game. Yeah, he'll

591
00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:54,319
do some of the stuff where he's fading away when

592
00:27:54,319 --> 00:27:56,039
he could have a layup or whatever, but that's just

593
00:27:56,079 --> 00:27:58,640
like sort of beate an experience. I think he's set

594
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,079
up to succeed. What I probably would worry about is

595
00:28:02,279 --> 00:28:07,480
I don't this isn't like the level of consistent defender

596
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,319
that we saw while he was in like twenty twenty one,

597
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,400
like being his absolute peak, and I think we saw

598
00:28:14,519 --> 00:28:17,640
like maybe a little bit of flashes that at points

599
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,039
like since then. But this isn't like someone who is

600
00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:24,160
rated as the most effective rim protector since that twenty

601
00:28:24,319 --> 00:28:26,319
twenty one campaign. Like you look at some of the

602
00:28:26,319 --> 00:28:28,839
percentage of his shots contested at the rim, they're not

603
00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:32,079
actually like that high relative to a big man. And

604
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:33,839
that's something that might stand out where if you're looking

605
00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:35,720
at because like your options after eight and then we'll

606
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,000
get into just the secondary rotation, but the backup center

607
00:28:39,079 --> 00:28:41,279
position is unless you're feeling really good about Hayes or

608
00:28:41,359 --> 00:28:44,720
Christian Coloco, like, you're not in a great spot either.

609
00:28:45,519 --> 00:28:47,400
So I worry about if you're looking at him to

610
00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,920
be a defensive anchor. I think you're looking for something

611
00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,039
that if it was ever there, like it's it feels

612
00:28:53,079 --> 00:28:56,359
like it's gone now. But you have La Rabia, you

613
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,559
have Smart, you have gave Vincent. It does feel no more.

614
00:28:59,599 --> 00:29:01,599
Jordan go Win. I thought he was really good defensively

615
00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,920
for them. Maybe you have enough perimeter defenders to allow

616
00:29:05,039 --> 00:29:06,799
him to maybe do what he does best where he

617
00:29:06,839 --> 00:29:10,319
doesn't have to make as many reads. But it's again

618
00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,519
that's my concern with the eight and thing. I think

619
00:29:12,519 --> 00:29:14,240
he's going to be just in terms of a body.

620
00:29:14,599 --> 00:29:16,640
He'll probably be inconsistent on the glass, but he's in

621
00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:20,000
the perfect offensive situation. I just don't know. You might

622
00:29:20,039 --> 00:29:23,359
see some really high highs for Ayton defensively, but as

623
00:29:23,359 --> 00:29:28,279
a consistent, like defensive stalwart presence. I have my dats

624
00:29:28,319 --> 00:29:28,599
as all.

625
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,759
Speaker 2: No, that's an excellent point, and I think you're exactly right.

626
00:29:31,839 --> 00:29:34,680
You'll he'll have his moments. He'll have like a random

627
00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:39,599
game where he blocks four shots. But I I don't

628
00:29:40,319 --> 00:29:42,720
I don't think there's a quote unquote anchor out there.

629
00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:44,559
I think, you know, like to the point that you

630
00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,440
just made, it has to be by committee, and it

631
00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:49,640
has to there has to be a good defensive scheme

632
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:53,359
that everybody's brought into put. You'll put simply if you

633
00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,880
now suddenly have some better point of attack defenders and

634
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,240
better wings that can you know, that can defend, the

635
00:29:58,319 --> 00:30:00,599
hope would be that you wouldn't. It wouldn't just be

636
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,680
a free for all or just a straight path to

637
00:30:02,839 --> 00:30:05,240
know to the rim like it was for you know,

638
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,640
for large stretches, uh, you know, and unfortunate stretches you know,

639
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,960
for last year's team. I agree with you the big

640
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:18,000
man rotation. I'm certainly not. I'm certainly not comfortable with it.

641
00:30:18,279 --> 00:30:20,680
I think and and and I and I know you're

642
00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,200
gonna go there eventually. I do think that is an

643
00:30:23,279 --> 00:30:25,440
area that you know that that does need to be

644
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,799
improved upon. And I think it's actually somewhere that they'll

645
00:30:28,839 --> 00:30:31,519
look to. They'll look to within within the season.

646
00:30:32,559 --> 00:30:34,519
Speaker 1: And the other thing too that you made me think

647
00:30:34,559 --> 00:30:36,680
of is if you're gonna from before, if you're gonna

648
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,319
play Lebron, Luca and Reeves together all at once, you

649
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:42,599
are putting a lot of pressure on DeAndre in defensively

650
00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,880
because the perfect way to round out that lineup right

651
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,119
now is probably offensively. It's really like, it's probably defensively,

652
00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,079
it's probably the Rabi. I don't think you want to go.

653
00:30:51,359 --> 00:30:54,400
I guess you could go it's smart there, but that's

654
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,200
gonna be like if if DeAndre Ayton is going to

655
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:00,079
prove everybody wrong, those are the minutes I think in

656
00:31:00,119 --> 00:31:01,640
which he can do it. Most is that we look

657
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,799
back and say, oh, the Lakers have like a league

658
00:31:03,799 --> 00:31:07,319
average defense with Lebron Luke for fifteen hundred minute whatever

659
00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,519
much they end up playing like with Lebron, Luca and

660
00:31:09,599 --> 00:31:11,960
Reeves on the court when they when they were with Aton.

661
00:31:12,279 --> 00:31:15,799
Speaker 2: And straight out that scenario is the reason why, honestly,

662
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,240
even more so than the you know, like you know

663
00:31:18,279 --> 00:31:21,680
then like the overlapping offensive skills, that's the reason why

664
00:31:21,839 --> 00:31:24,119
I'm more in favor of the Reeves coming off the bench. Deal.

665
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,440
You have to quite frankly, having the three of them together,

666
00:31:28,119 --> 00:31:30,680
you're already stepping in you You're already steping in a

667
00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,839
bear trap. Yeah, to the point where those other two

668
00:31:33,839 --> 00:31:36,799
guys have to not only be perfect defensively, but they're

669
00:31:36,799 --> 00:31:39,640
gonna have to be like have like, you know, like

670
00:31:39,799 --> 00:31:43,240
great nights defensively, And I don't I don't know to

671
00:31:43,319 --> 00:31:45,519
your point, I don't know if expecting that on a

672
00:31:45,519 --> 00:31:48,079
consistent basis from you know that you know from Aden

673
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:49,079
is realistic.

674
00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,279
Speaker 1: How do you feel about the Marcus Smart addition?

675
00:31:53,559 --> 00:31:57,799
Speaker 2: So I recognize everybody's like, hey, it's not twenty twenty one. Yeah,

676
00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,759
I understand that he's still signific can lead better than

677
00:32:00,799 --> 00:32:02,599
anything that they've been thrown out there the last couple

678
00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,319
of years in terms of a point of attack defender.

679
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:10,400
So if he's healthy, big, if if he can stay

680
00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:12,720
on the court sixty games, I think this is an

681
00:32:12,759 --> 00:32:16,119
incredible pickup. If he's healthy come postseason, I think this

682
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:19,440
is an incredible pickup. If he's not, Ultimately, it doesn't matter,

683
00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:20,799
you know, like it was a swing, it was a

684
00:32:20,839 --> 00:32:24,480
swing and a miss. But simply having someone that has

685
00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,079
been through the and again I do I do far

686
00:32:28,119 --> 00:32:30,240
too much of this, like oh been through the fires

687
00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:32,920
and yeel it. But it's true, like that matters.

688
00:32:33,599 --> 00:32:33,839
Speaker 1: It does.

689
00:32:34,079 --> 00:32:36,279
Speaker 2: It does matter. You're like that, you know, like you know,

690
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:40,799
lead and been a productive member and supportive member on

691
00:32:41,039 --> 00:32:44,759
winning teams. To me, that matters more than what I

692
00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:49,960
saw from him in a random scenario in Washington, in

693
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,039
a random scenario in Memphis, two places where he had

694
00:32:53,039 --> 00:32:55,440
no intention of ever ever going. And I think a

695
00:32:55,519 --> 00:32:59,960
lot of times we as like like basketball fans in fanalist,

696
00:33:00,759 --> 00:33:02,880
we forget that, you know, like the human side of it,

697
00:33:03,039 --> 00:33:05,599
or we don't take that into account nearly as much

698
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,279
or you know, nearly as much as it should be.

699
00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:10,279
Marcus Mart's thirty one years old. He is not you know,

700
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,039
he's not forty one. I'm not saying I'm expecting to

701
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,000
be back to the defensive player of the year, you know,

702
00:33:16,079 --> 00:33:18,920
like status. But if he can approximate eighty five percent

703
00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,440
of that. Again, that is so significantly better than what

704
00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,680
we've had, you know, for any consistent basis that in

705
00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:26,519
itself is a win.

706
00:33:27,519 --> 00:33:29,920
Speaker 1: And the other thing, too, is just in Memphis specifically,

707
00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,160
when he was healthy, he needed to do too much offensively,

708
00:33:33,599 --> 00:33:37,599
and the Lakers in less catastrophe strikes. Yeah, should never

709
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,119
be in a position where they're relying on Marcus Smart

710
00:33:40,119 --> 00:33:44,880
for any type of real material table setting from scratch offense,

711
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:46,880
like because he will turn the ball over a bunch

712
00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,839
and even just as a three point shooter, he's never

713
00:33:49,839 --> 00:33:51,880
been the greatest, but he's had like a couple outlier

714
00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,480
seasons or got so and if he's getting open shots

715
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,000
and he's willing to play the more of a spot

716
00:33:57,079 --> 00:34:00,400
up role, I like the Again it's I'm I find

717
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,200
myself in the middle. Where's I don't think that this

718
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:04,960
was like the best signing of the summer for any team,

719
00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,880
but everything you said just rings true. And I think

720
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:11,519
there's a chance that he becomes if he's healthy, looks

721
00:34:11,559 --> 00:34:14,280
better because he's in a better role that where again,

722
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,719
I just keep going back to Memphis, Washington is whatever,

723
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,280
like that stint there, Yeah, they needed him to do

724
00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:21,159
too much on offense, and even dating back to his

725
00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,239
days in Boston that by and large, unless you were

726
00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,039
five out around or four out around him, that was

727
00:34:27,079 --> 00:34:28,679
just never going to be a strong suit of his.

728
00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:31,559
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's about positioning, and it's about, you know,

729
00:34:31,599 --> 00:34:34,159
like the role you're being asked to do. Yet, if

730
00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:36,760
you're if you were coming into this year expecting him

731
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,960
to be you know, vintage Rajeon Rondo, Hey, look, you

732
00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:43,239
you are, you are in trouble if you simply need

733
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:45,480
him to play a role, I think you know, I

734
00:34:45,519 --> 00:34:46,119
think you can get that.

735
00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:50,320
Speaker 1: How do you feel about Jake Lavia I, you.

736
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,159
Speaker 2: Know, honestly, I'm excited about him simply because, unlike a

737
00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:55,360
lot of people, I'm gonna admit I didn't know anything

738
00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,159
about his game. I remember I've seen him out there

739
00:34:58,199 --> 00:35:02,159
on the court before, and especially garbage time, and quite frankly,

740
00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:06,159
I was always like, oh cool, you know, that's cool.

741
00:35:06,519 --> 00:35:08,000
But then all of a sudden, you get you get

742
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,800
the guy you're like on your roster, and you start

743
00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:11,800
looking into him a little bit more you recognize, Okay,

744
00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,960
there's obvious inconsistencies, but there's a player there. I don't know,

745
00:35:17,119 --> 00:35:19,239
if you know, like you know, to your point earlier,

746
00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,079
if JJ is going to be able to pull the

747
00:35:21,159 --> 00:35:24,400
JJ out of him. But to me, I at least

748
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,239
look at it like he's a six to eight guy

749
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,320
that's rangey. I recognize he doesn't shoot a ton of threes,

750
00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:30,760
but if I'm not mistaken, he's like a thirty seven

751
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,440
percent you know, you know, shoot her from deep, you know,

752
00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,679
for his career. One year he shot like four and

753
00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,800
a half another but on average he's under three. If

754
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:39,679
you can get you know, like knock that up a

755
00:35:39,679 --> 00:35:41,679
bit and have the same you know, type of efficiency

756
00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,280
as well as a guy that's scrappy and you know

757
00:35:44,559 --> 00:35:47,639
a little bit you know, rangey on defense, I look

758
00:35:47,679 --> 00:35:52,320
at it like world beater, no good fit, very potentially

759
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,320
very good fit. Yes, so I'm not jumping out the

760
00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,920
window on it, but I'm excited about it because like, look,

761
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,559
I think they could have done work. They they've certainly

762
00:36:01,599 --> 00:36:03,000
done worse in the past.

763
00:36:04,159 --> 00:36:06,119
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's just I don't know how much

764
00:36:06,119 --> 00:36:08,239
I buy into him as like a three point shooter,

765
00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:10,280
but as a quick decision maker, getting off the ball

766
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,920
quickly and then being able to not just defend but

767
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:15,760
be moved around on the defensive end. I think that'll

768
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,840
be super valuable for them. I'm curious just what he

769
00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:21,519
winds up looking like on offense, but I think for

770
00:36:21,559 --> 00:36:24,119
the value they got him, I think I think that, like,

771
00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:28,079
that's the signing this is stupid, that's the signing of

772
00:36:28,079 --> 00:36:30,400
theirs that I'm most excited about, because I feel like,

773
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,079
as a connective tissue person on the perimeter, when is

774
00:36:33,119 --> 00:36:35,719
the last time the Lakers had that?

775
00:36:36,559 --> 00:36:39,360
Speaker 2: No, I don't even think that's stupid. I actually think

776
00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:41,239
that makes sense. Like the look the at and thing,

777
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,320
it's it. We kind we know what that is at

778
00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:48,159
its best and cool, uh you know, you know, smart,

779
00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:50,199
we know what that is at its best, and it's

780
00:36:50,199 --> 00:36:52,079
not likely to get back there, but if it gets

781
00:36:52,079 --> 00:36:54,840
anywhere close to it cool. This is an untapped This

782
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,400
is an untapped guy. This is a this is a

783
00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:01,639
young guy that's moved around, played scenarios that weren't necessarily

784
00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:05,480
you know, you know, the best, and now all of

785
00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,719
a sudden he's on a big stage under under the

786
00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:13,199
bright lights, with players that you would think will maximize

787
00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:15,440
what he know what he can do, and if the

788
00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:18,119
opportunity is like if there's a chance for him to

789
00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:20,360
you know, to turn into something it's gonna you know, like,

790
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,280
this is your opportunity, So I get there. I'm the

791
00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,880
only reason why I wasn't as forceful about it is

792
00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,000
because I was like, people are gonna think I'm putting

793
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,039
extras on it. But I mean, I'm very excited about

794
00:37:31,119 --> 00:37:32,480
Jacob reed like I am.

795
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:33,960
Speaker 1: And I think you hit it on the head when

796
00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,119
you said he's still sort of this mystery box despite

797
00:37:36,159 --> 00:37:37,639
like we know what, He've had a good season in

798
00:37:37,679 --> 00:37:39,760
Memphiscus trade to Sacram I know, had like pretty good

799
00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:42,159
moments there, but he's still sort of just this mystery box.

800
00:37:42,159 --> 00:37:45,079
And so I think we're I'm naturally more gravitating towards him.

801
00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:49,239
Here's a question, not Ruy Hachimora division, who is the

802
00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:52,559
second Who's the Who's the most important, like secondary front

803
00:37:52,559 --> 00:37:55,639
court player on this team? So you have Lebron, you

804
00:37:55,639 --> 00:37:59,519
have Aton that's presumably your starting lineup after them, who's

805
00:37:59,519 --> 00:38:02,599
the second most important, guess third most important? If you

806
00:38:02,599 --> 00:38:05,760
want to throw Ruey into that for conversation, I.

807
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:09,719
Speaker 2: Mean it it's probably La Ravia like it. It has

808
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,519
to be, because look, here's the deal. I look at

809
00:38:13,559 --> 00:38:17,000
it and I go, like I really want Vanda to

810
00:38:17,079 --> 00:38:20,199
be all the things that a lot of people believe

811
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:23,039
that he can be. But I really have also watched

812
00:38:23,079 --> 00:38:25,320
the last you know, five years of his career.

813
00:38:25,559 --> 00:38:27,480
Speaker 1: Have you also watched him working on his catch and

814
00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,000
shoot mid range jumper from the baseline for some reason,

815
00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:32,000
that's because that's a shot we need people take.

816
00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:38,920
Speaker 2: Again, I've watched this last I've watched it. And when

817
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:42,679
he's right physically, yes, point of attag defense guy that

818
00:38:42,679 --> 00:38:44,760
can be thrown in for ten to fifteen minutes a game,

819
00:38:45,079 --> 00:38:48,159
you know, you press up, do all. That's fun, that's fine.

820
00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:53,519
But as crazy as it sounds, La Ravia. Look, I

821
00:38:53,559 --> 00:38:55,159
don't know if he's going to be able to be this,

822
00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,719
but they need, as currently constructed, they need a Rabia

823
00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:01,159
to be that, to be that, you know, like you know,

824
00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:02,880
to be that flexible guy that they can play at

825
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,000
the three or the four, you know, dependent upon you know,

826
00:39:05,039 --> 00:39:07,320
dependent upon the roster or dependent upon you know, like

827
00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:11,639
the lineup. I'd love to tell you, oh, Jackson Hayes

828
00:39:11,679 --> 00:39:13,599
is gonna know, Jackson Hayes is gonna be who Jackson

829
00:39:13,599 --> 00:39:15,639
Hayes is. And that's fine, you know, like you know,

830
00:39:15,679 --> 00:39:18,239
like that that's great. I'd love to say Christiankaloko is

831
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,400
gonna be like, Oh he's gonna this is gonna be

832
00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:23,280
the year where he puts it all together, where we

833
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,880
see the consistent I don't know, you want to talk

834
00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,000
about a mystery box. That's a mystery box. So in

835
00:39:30,079 --> 00:39:33,960
terms of like, you know, like the significant front court players,

836
00:39:34,599 --> 00:39:37,199
Ruey he is what you know, we know what Ruey is,

837
00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:39,000
but he's going to play a major role if he's

838
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,000
on this roster, and outside of him, it's you know,

839
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,559
for me, it's Jake Larevia because if you're asking me

840
00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:49,360
who I am more optimistic for or I want to

841
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,920
see more fro him, between he and like a guy

842
00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,599
like Vanderbilt, obviously it's Jake Lavia because I have not

843
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,840
I've seen, I've seen what I need to see from Vando. Good,

844
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:02,000
good on you, Vando. KEI keep knocking down those fifteen

845
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:03,159
foot baseline jumpers.

846
00:40:03,599 --> 00:40:05,800
Speaker 1: So who is their second most important big then, like

847
00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:07,639
backing up eighton who are you looking at? I think

848
00:40:07,679 --> 00:40:09,599
it people default to Hayes, But is there a chance

849
00:40:09,599 --> 00:40:12,079
that Coloaco sneaks in? There? Is it? If Maxi Kleeba

850
00:40:12,199 --> 00:40:14,000
is healthy and how do you also to just add

851
00:40:14,039 --> 00:40:16,119
a layer to it. How would you like to see

852
00:40:16,119 --> 00:40:18,599
them when Aton's off the court? What do you want

853
00:40:18,639 --> 00:40:20,119
to see those lineups for LA?

854
00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:22,079
Speaker 2: Look like, I know what I don't want to see

855
00:40:22,079 --> 00:40:23,840
and I don't want to see small ball Lebron at

856
00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:26,400
the five. Do not do that anymore. Do not piss

857
00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,320
me off. JJ. I'm telling you right now, JJ, I

858
00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:29,960
know you're gonna be watching this. I know you're gonna

859
00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:32,039
be sitting here like, why is Dan talking to this

860
00:40:32,119 --> 00:40:34,079
asshole again? Well? You know what, Here's this.

861
00:40:34,079 --> 00:40:36,760
Speaker 1: Is the reachon JJ Reddick. Avid's a listener and subscriber,

862
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:37,440
a hardware not.

863
00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,960
Speaker 2: Hard hardwood knocks. Don't put Lebron at small but small

864
00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:44,280
ball five anymore. He's too small. He you know, you're

865
00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,119
putting them in positions to where he's going to get,

866
00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:51,360
you know, run down, all for all of the reasons. Man,

867
00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,159
it's gonna be by committee. And I hate saying that

868
00:40:53,159 --> 00:40:54,800
because it sounds like a cop out answer, but like

869
00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:57,559
that's the position that they've put us in. Do I

870
00:40:57,599 --> 00:40:59,880
believe in Jackson Hayes about us?

871
00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:00,800
Speaker 1: I can throw him?

872
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:04,519
Speaker 2: Do I believe in chrisian KloCo about the same, MAXI Kleeber. Hey,

873
00:41:04,519 --> 00:41:06,800
you know what, it's great those pictures. Those pictures look great.

874
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:08,519
You are buffer is all you know, the buff is

875
00:41:08,559 --> 00:41:10,599
all hell? Is it going to translate into you being

876
00:41:10,599 --> 00:41:13,440
able to stay on the court? I and for and

877
00:41:13,519 --> 00:41:16,239
for that reason, that is the area again that I

878
00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:17,840
do think that they're going to have to address at

879
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:21,320
some point. Maybe maybe we get lucky and Jackson Hayes

880
00:41:21,519 --> 00:41:24,199
back in, you know, a relative position of you know,

881
00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:26,679
backup big. You know he can give you those solid

882
00:41:26,679 --> 00:41:29,679
fifteen to twenty minutes. I'm just saying I'm not sold,

883
00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:31,480
and obviously I don't think that they are either.

884
00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,199
Speaker 1: I'm probably still just latching on too, like minutes from

885
00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:37,079
MAXI kleb but a half decade ago, and I'm like,

886
00:41:37,119 --> 00:41:38,840
you know, if he's healthy, he just might be the

887
00:41:39,079 --> 00:41:40,480
like a sneaky answer for them.

888
00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:42,679
Speaker 2: So when I saw that picture of him, like and

889
00:41:43,119 --> 00:41:45,679
when it came out for one, I immediately thought, Okay,

890
00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:47,800
is this one of those ones where like we did

891
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:49,599
with Lebron a couple of years back, and he did

892
00:41:49,599 --> 00:41:51,599
with Cruso a couple of years backward. So oh no,

893
00:41:51,679 --> 00:41:53,519
he is actually that buff. But you know what it

894
00:41:53,559 --> 00:41:56,119
made me think, do you have Are you a Boumani

895
00:41:56,199 --> 00:41:58,000
Jones listener or were you at any point I'm talking

896
00:41:58,000 --> 00:41:58,760
about that people?

897
00:42:00,039 --> 00:42:01,719
Speaker 1: It was one of my I know he follows a

898
00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:03,360
ton of people, but when he followed me back on

899
00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:05,280
Twitter years ago, that was one of them. You get

900
00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,639
to be like, oh, he must have done that by mistake.

901
00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:10,639
It was one of those my job, straight.

902
00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:13,559
Speaker 2: Up hey and and honestly great guy. Well, back in

903
00:42:13,599 --> 00:42:16,760
the day, you used to always talk about, Oh, my goodness,

904
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:18,519
I drew a blank. Okay, you're gonna have to edit.

905
00:42:18,639 --> 00:42:23,199
Sorry you fuck. Wait what was in the reference to

906
00:42:24,199 --> 00:42:27,400
son of a Bitch? I started thinking about young Bomani.

907
00:42:28,639 --> 00:42:30,519
Speaker 1: He's been around, He's been around a minute now?

908
00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:32,280
Speaker 2: Was a question? Was the question? What was the question

909
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:33,960
that you just asked.

910
00:42:33,559 --> 00:42:37,360
Speaker 1: Oh about their Maxi Kleba about a guy?

911
00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,719
Speaker 2: Okay, so again, your matching looks great. But it made

912
00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:44,800
me think of the old Bomani saying where it's always

913
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,719
the old washed up person that says, I'm in the

914
00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:49,840
best I'm in the best shape of my life, best

915
00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:52,440
shape of my career, and that's when you know it's over.

916
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,039
I'd like to be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. I

917
00:42:55,079 --> 00:42:57,760
hope MAXI can get in there and play sixty five games,

918
00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:01,519
you know, provide, be a minute eater, provide you know,

919
00:43:01,599 --> 00:43:04,280
all types of this, that and the other. But I

920
00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:06,599
am not impressed by it. You know, like the way

921
00:43:06,639 --> 00:43:10,599
you look necessarily in your offseason workout when you've been

922
00:43:10,679 --> 00:43:12,599
in your offseason workout for the better part of two

923
00:43:12,639 --> 00:43:13,599
and a half years.

924
00:43:14,039 --> 00:43:16,320
Speaker 1: That's why I'm sort of convinced that they are gonna

925
00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:18,719
go just looking at the alternative, unless you like Christiankaloco

926
00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:19,800
being on a two way. I don't know how many

927
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:22,400
minutes they're gonna play him. I do feel like they

928
00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:24,840
are gonna maybe lean smaller again, But then you look

929
00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:27,079
at their roster and it's well, without the worrying Phinny

930
00:43:27,119 --> 00:43:28,719
Smith there, I might get a little bit harder to

931
00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:30,760
do that, which is a good what you want. That's

932
00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,400
probably a good thing. I did want to ask, though,

933
00:43:34,079 --> 00:43:35,920
Ruyachi Mora. I didn't send a question about him in

934
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:40,199
the outline. Does he become any more expendable with the

935
00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:41,920
way the roster is built now, because I've seen a

936
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:43,559
lot of people kind of just write off his three

937
00:43:43,599 --> 00:43:45,400
point shooting as well, look who he's being set up

938
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:47,760
by and it's well, that's kind of the entire fucking

939
00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,599
point to be a play finisher from the perimeter like that,

940
00:43:50,639 --> 00:43:53,519
who can do some other stuff. But when you have

941
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:56,360
a roster that does feel like it's skews so heavily

942
00:43:56,440 --> 00:44:00,679
towards offense, what is his kind of like, how do

943
00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:03,280
you view him in the context of LA's present and future?

944
00:44:04,119 --> 00:44:07,199
Speaker 2: What what I would imagine your scene, especially if it's

945
00:44:07,199 --> 00:44:12,159
from Lakers fans when it comes to him, is an

946
00:44:12,159 --> 00:44:16,400
annoyance of how it looks in the postseason repeatedly, but

947
00:44:16,639 --> 00:44:19,039
by and large, Ruey is a very good minutes eater.

948
00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:21,000
He is a very good you know, like you know,

949
00:44:21,079 --> 00:44:24,360
regular season option you like to have in your rotation.

950
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,639
Is he perfect? Of course not, like that's the reason

951
00:44:27,679 --> 00:44:29,159
why they were able to get him for second round

952
00:44:29,199 --> 00:44:31,480
picks a couple of years like, you know, a couple

953
00:44:31,519 --> 00:44:35,599
of years back. But in terms of what he specifically provides,

954
00:44:35,639 --> 00:44:37,719
I think he'll still play a role. Again, this is

955
00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:39,320
if he's on the roster, I think he'll still play

956
00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:40,920
a role. I think you'll still be a guy that

957
00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:42,519
you know, like gets you twenty five, you know, twenty

958
00:44:42,559 --> 00:44:45,000
five or so minutes a night. He's still going to

959
00:44:45,039 --> 00:44:46,360
be a guy that can you know, that can stretch

960
00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:49,559
the floor. Like whether it's because he's being set up

961
00:44:49,599 --> 00:44:51,599
by you know, like all of those guys are not,

962
00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:54,440
he's knocking him down, and that is the deal. That's

963
00:44:54,480 --> 00:45:01,639
the objective when it when it comes to yeah, yeah,

964
00:45:01,639 --> 00:45:03,679
I think so, I guess the answer is I think

965
00:45:03,679 --> 00:45:05,760
he's going to be a big part of the rotation

966
00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:10,400
once again. And when it comes down to the nitty gritty,

967
00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:13,079
when it actually matters, it'll be great to see if

968
00:45:13,119 --> 00:45:17,000
he can make adjustments and pick up schemes and do

969
00:45:17,039 --> 00:45:19,000
all the little pay attention to all the little things

970
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,280
that would actually keep him on the court for AJJ

971
00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:22,440
Reddick team.

972
00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:25,159
Speaker 1: Can we go through just some of your early impressions

973
00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:28,400
or lasting impressions of the quote unquote youngsters that are

974
00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:33,480
on this roster. Sure, let's begin with Dalton connect.

975
00:45:34,199 --> 00:45:39,639
Speaker 2: All right, as crazy as it sounds, especially because he's

976
00:45:39,639 --> 00:45:42,800
still a second year player, but to a degree, excuse me,

977
00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:45,920
to a degree, it's put up or shut up. And

978
00:45:46,079 --> 00:45:47,920
what I mean by that not saying put up her,

979
00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,760
shut up, or lose your place in the league. I'm

980
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:52,920
saying put up her, shut up, or lose your place

981
00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:56,320
on this roster. So he fell out of the rotation

982
00:45:56,559 --> 00:45:59,599
after being after having teammates and coaches that were seemingly

983
00:45:59,679 --> 00:46:01,880
very I did for him at the beginning of the year.

984
00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:04,760
Last year, he completely fell out of rotation and clearly

985
00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:06,280
fell out of favor. You know, you know with the

986
00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:09,840
coaching staff, the rumors are and I'm sure you saw

987
00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:12,199
some of the you know clips going around, you know

988
00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:14,679
the X or you know, blue Sky shout out the

989
00:46:14,679 --> 00:46:17,360
Blue Sky. I'm sure you saw, you know, some of

990
00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,440
that stuff going around where it would show JJ frustrated

991
00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:23,199
because he just set up a play specifically for him.

992
00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:26,800
And I believe me as a former coach, I I

993
00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:30,599
totally understand that that is incredibly frustrating. It's like you

994
00:46:30,679 --> 00:46:32,559
worked on it in practice, you worked, you know, you

995
00:46:32,639 --> 00:46:34,840
had it down, We went through it in the pregame,

996
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:36,880
you had it down, and then when you get out there,

997
00:46:37,039 --> 00:46:38,960
all of a sudden, you know, your brain turns in

998
00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,800
the in the in the massed potatoes, what happened. I

999
00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:46,119
understand that frustration, But if he's going to be on

1000
00:46:46,199 --> 00:46:48,960
this team, he's gonna need to you figure that out.

1001
00:46:49,119 --> 00:46:53,559
Like it it's just that simple. I think there's problem

1002
00:46:53,639 --> 00:46:56,360
I think there's still promised there. I'm not buying into like, oh,

1003
00:46:56,599 --> 00:46:58,360
you know, around the league, they don't even see him

1004
00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:01,800
as a second round guy. I think that given the circumstance,

1005
00:47:02,039 --> 00:47:05,280
if he's in a different situation, he might look a

1006
00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:09,400
little bit better. But being on this roster, it's gonna

1007
00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:11,239
be difficult for him to stay in the rotation or

1008
00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:15,039
even crack the rotation, specifically because of those you know,

1009
00:47:15,639 --> 00:47:19,280
because of the weaknesses that he has, they seem to

1010
00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:22,079
be you know, triggers for this coaching staff.

1011
00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:25,159
Speaker 1: If that's the case, where it doesn't look like he's

1012
00:47:25,159 --> 00:47:28,559
gonna crack the rotation, you almost should trade him this

1013
00:47:28,639 --> 00:47:32,639
season because at some point he loses that first round prospect.

1014
00:47:32,679 --> 00:47:34,719
Mystique and I would argue it would be after a

1015
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,400
sophomore season in which maybe he hasn't it maybe it's

1016
00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:38,960
not even that he hasn't done much. Perhaps he does

1017
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,360
play well, but that they decide, I mean, we got

1018
00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:44,119
Austin Reeves and like kay Vincent's here, Marcus smartest here,

1019
00:47:44,119 --> 00:47:46,440
and like we have all these other more seasoned, better

1020
00:47:46,519 --> 00:47:48,519
perimeter bodies. If there's not a role for him that

1021
00:47:48,519 --> 00:47:50,360
I'm not saying trade him for a top fifty five

1022
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,039
protected second round pick. But there's kind of an urgency

1023
00:47:53,119 --> 00:47:56,159
to just be like, you don't want whatever trade value

1024
00:47:56,199 --> 00:47:59,239
he has to plunge. Unless you have you're willing to

1025
00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:00,840
stomach it and say, well, no, like we're going to

1026
00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:03,119
have a role for him by year three, Like there's

1027
00:48:03,159 --> 00:48:04,719
a long term plan like that in place.

1028
00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,519
Speaker 2: I think, I'll say straight up, I think if he

1029
00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:12,559
doesn't come out and look incredible, no matter what they're

1030
00:48:12,599 --> 00:48:14,599
looking to move it, I think the only thing that

1031
00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:16,039
keeps him on this roster is if all of a

1032
00:48:16,079 --> 00:48:19,119
sudden it's like, oh, he put it together. I'm saying, like, yeah,

1033
00:48:19,159 --> 00:48:20,679
he might have a couple of games where he makes

1034
00:48:20,679 --> 00:48:22,800
a couple of threes or go like, looks halfway decent

1035
00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:25,480
the preseason. I think that if at any point an

1036
00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:27,800
opportunity presented it so and I'm not saying just to

1037
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,800
dump him, but to utilize him as that asset. Like

1038
00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:33,679
you said, I think if that, if the opportunity presents stuff,

1039
00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:35,800
they do that this year. They very much show that

1040
00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:39,559
they were willing to do it only at the deadline

1041
00:48:39,639 --> 00:48:42,400
last year. So what what would have changed, you know

1042
00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:42,800
what I mean?

1043
00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:46,800
Speaker 1: How about Christian KloCo what are your thoughts on him?

1044
00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:50,920
Speaker 2: Good to two way player, good practice guy, good guy

1045
00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:53,639
to have you like you like on your roster. Seems

1046
00:48:53,679 --> 00:48:55,480
like he gets along with you know, with the teammates

1047
00:48:55,519 --> 00:48:58,239
and whatnot. But I'm not expecting him to he'll turn

1048
00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:02,119
into a world beater. Yes, obviously additional opportunities, you know,

1049
00:49:02,159 --> 00:49:05,079
additional seasoning that can make the difference, you know, with

1050
00:49:05,079 --> 00:49:06,920
with a young with a young player in general, like

1051
00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:09,400
not just a young big I'd love to see it.

1052
00:49:09,639 --> 00:49:11,000
I'm not holding my breath for it.

1053
00:49:12,119 --> 00:49:13,599
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's just so big.

1054
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:19,440
Speaker 2: That you would you would think big athletic withs, you know,

1055
00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:22,719
with your wits, you know what worked himself into you

1056
00:49:22,719 --> 00:49:28,159
know you good condition, great size, but hasn't done enough,

1057
00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:28,719
you know.

1058
00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,199
Speaker 1: Doesn't always play like it either as rebounding rate for

1059
00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:33,239
someone who has always been like ah.

1060
00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:36,039
Speaker 2: And that's the thing like it, Like like I I'm

1061
00:49:36,079 --> 00:49:38,039
always hesitant when it comes to young players to not

1062
00:49:38,119 --> 00:49:40,840
just be like, oh many stinks whatever, But I've got

1063
00:49:40,840 --> 00:49:42,360
to see it. I am one of those like you

1064
00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:45,039
got to show me like it that on paper it

1065
00:49:45,079 --> 00:49:46,920
can look great. You might have a seven foot four

1066
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,760
wingspan and all that. If it's not computing out there

1067
00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:52,000
on the court. It does not matter, like shout out

1068
00:49:52,039 --> 00:49:54,000
to you, Mobamba, But.

1069
00:49:57,840 --> 00:49:59,039
Speaker 1: What about I do hero.

1070
00:50:00,679 --> 00:50:04,360
Speaker 2: I Okay, So I'm glad you brought him up. And look,

1071
00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:07,840
let me preface this by saying, he's a rookie. I

1072
00:50:07,880 --> 00:50:11,960
am never going to expect a rookie to be anything

1073
00:50:12,039 --> 00:50:14,880
other than a rookie. A guy that looks good some nights,

1074
00:50:15,079 --> 00:50:18,159
looks good for two to three minutes here and there,

1075
00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:20,840
and we'll frustrate the hell out of you, you know,

1076
00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:23,079
like you'll buy and large by the end of the game.

1077
00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:27,320
But in terms of the guy on the young guy

1078
00:50:27,360 --> 00:50:29,519
on the roster that has an opportunity to say, like, hey,

1079
00:50:29,559 --> 00:50:32,199
you know what, you guys need wings, you guys need

1080
00:50:32,239 --> 00:50:35,400
point of attack, you guys need a lively body. I

1081
00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:38,159
can be that for you. I'm at least excited for that,

1082
00:50:38,599 --> 00:50:40,519
Like I'm you know what I'm excited for. I'm excited

1083
00:50:40,519 --> 00:50:42,679
for the preseason because that's where a guy like him

1084
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:45,639
is gonna get in and probably do something crazy and

1085
00:50:45,679 --> 00:50:48,039
you know, and terrible, but might get in there and

1086
00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:50,840
and show some things. And if he can work himself

1087
00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:53,679
into the you'll work himself at least into the practice rotation.

1088
00:50:54,039 --> 00:50:55,679
I would love to see what he can turn into.

1089
00:50:56,079 --> 00:50:59,280
I'm not expecting the world, but I do think he's

1090
00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:02,639
got the body type and the very the specific type

1091
00:51:02,679 --> 00:51:05,000
of game to where like he can work himself into

1092
00:51:05,079 --> 00:51:07,159
any rotation if he if he if he wants it.

1093
00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:12,760
Speaker 1: And finally, but not leastly, where you aut with Brownie James, Sir.

1094
00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:18,599
Speaker 2: Bronnie James is a good prospect. Man. I I measured

1095
00:51:18,639 --> 00:51:23,360
my I measured. I wasn't being silly. I was measuring

1096
00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:26,559
how I wanted to say this. If Brownie James wasn't

1097
00:51:26,639 --> 00:51:31,360
named Bronnie, if he was Derrick James of the James tribe,

1098
00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:33,920
that iss nothing to do with you know whatever. We

1099
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:37,000
would say, Okay, young guy forty, you know, you know

1100
00:51:37,119 --> 00:51:38,360
pick at the end of at the end of the

1101
00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:43,199
second round, played pretty well in the G League, like consistently,

1102
00:51:43,239 --> 00:51:46,039
as a matter of fact, looked good, you know, looked

1103
00:51:46,039 --> 00:51:48,039
pretty good in the summer league. You know, in a second,

1104
00:51:48,079 --> 00:51:51,079
in a second opportunity, not gonna be a wall beater,

1105
00:51:51,159 --> 00:51:53,000
but hey, let's see what this kick. Would We would

1106
00:51:53,039 --> 00:51:55,199
be saying, like, Hey, this is an exciting kid for

1107
00:51:55,360 --> 00:51:57,599
your team to come into camp. Let's see let's see

1108
00:51:57,639 --> 00:51:58,800
if he can earn it. They can see if he

1109
00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:01,000
can earn a spot at the end of the rotation

1110
00:52:01,119 --> 00:52:03,280
and see and see what can be done. But because

1111
00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:06,360
he's Brownie James, people are always going to be like,

1112
00:52:06,679 --> 00:52:10,199
what do you think that? I think he's fine? Like like,

1113
00:52:10,599 --> 00:52:13,519
given what he actually is, I think it's fine.

1114
00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:17,000
Speaker 1: Wow, it's too measured of a take. Could you go

1115
00:52:17,119 --> 00:52:18,239
more inflammatory? Please?

1116
00:52:18,519 --> 00:52:21,360
Speaker 2: I think that he's going to work himself and be

1117
00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:23,440
on the bench with the you know, like like a

1118
00:52:24,599 --> 00:52:26,840
with consistency for this year?

1119
00:52:28,239 --> 00:52:30,920
Speaker 1: Are you ready to enter the cookie cutter portion of

1120
00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:35,760
the always ready for it? We've talked some about it already,

1121
00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:37,440
But if you had to boil it down to this

1122
00:52:37,639 --> 00:52:40,119
roster's biggest need kind of looking at it on paper

1123
00:52:40,119 --> 00:52:41,920
and knowing what you saw last season, what do you

1124
00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:42,960
view it as right now?

1125
00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:46,679
Speaker 2: Back a big and more point of attack defense. While yes,

1126
00:52:46,719 --> 00:52:49,760
I'm excited about Marcus Smart, Yes I'm excited to see

1127
00:52:49,760 --> 00:52:52,039
what Jake Laaravia can do. Yes, I'm excited to see

1128
00:52:52,039 --> 00:52:55,119
what you like? What what this all looks like? Just

1129
00:52:55,199 --> 00:52:57,199
heading in? If I if I had to, if I

1130
00:52:57,199 --> 00:53:00,199
had the pinpoint, it would be no, you still need

1131
00:53:00,239 --> 00:53:02,559
more yes, it's yes. I mean, yes, it's good that

1132
00:53:02,639 --> 00:53:05,119
you have Marcus and he may be better than what

1133
00:53:05,239 --> 00:53:09,320
you've had, but you still need more. And yes, cool

1134
00:53:09,519 --> 00:53:12,920
Aighton's there, and no disrespect to the you know to

1135
00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:15,400
who you went to the dance with last year, But

1136
00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:18,960
I don't even trust you in the backup role, so

1137
00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:23,159
you probably need to strengthen your strengthen that area. What

1138
00:53:23,239 --> 00:53:25,559
about from the outside looking in, like where do you

1139
00:53:25,599 --> 00:53:27,119
think they most need to I.

1140
00:53:27,039 --> 00:53:29,000
Speaker 1: Think it's backup center, But I think you could also

1141
00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:30,760
look at this wrong. I'm not as worried about point

1142
00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:33,199
of attack defense. If we think that gave Vincent and

1143
00:53:33,239 --> 00:53:36,039
Marcus Marter both going to be healthy, I think what

1144
00:53:36,119 --> 00:53:38,239
you could get into and say, do they have enough

1145
00:53:39,119 --> 00:53:41,480
two way players guys who are gonna add value at

1146
00:53:41,519 --> 00:53:44,679
both ends of the floor. Because Dorian Finney Smith was

1147
00:53:44,760 --> 00:53:47,400
basically that guy last year, which is why it felt

1148
00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:50,880
like the on ausplits with him were insane too small

1149
00:53:50,920 --> 00:53:52,679
for the Timberwolve series. But like I don't really know,

1150
00:53:52,719 --> 00:53:55,400
like what that's not his fault, Like the Lakers were small,

1151
00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:58,880
the Wolves are huge, So I think it's that for

1152
00:53:58,920 --> 00:54:01,800
me because backups, you know what it might be backup center,

1153
00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:03,639
just because that feels like a dumb thing to say.

1154
00:54:04,039 --> 00:54:07,519
But there's questions about DeAndre Ayton as a starting center,

1155
00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:09,559
not in the fact that he's not an NBA player,

1156
00:54:09,599 --> 00:54:13,239
but do you think he's a top fifteen starting center.

1157
00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:16,320
The answer is maybe he could be. But if you're

1158
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:20,119
saying yes right now, I would question. I have questions

1159
00:54:20,159 --> 00:54:21,920
if you think that Deandreton right now is one of

1160
00:54:21,920 --> 00:54:23,679
the fifteen best centers in the NBA.

1161
00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:25,880
Speaker 2: I think that, and I'm so glad you said it

1162
00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:28,519
that way. I think that in itself is an indicator

1163
00:54:28,559 --> 00:54:30,679
of where I am with aiden. While I'm excited about him.

1164
00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:34,480
While yes, I think you'll like if I felt if

1165
00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:36,639
I felt like, you know, like, yeah, that's the guy,

1166
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,159
I wouldn't be as like, hey, you know, we're gonna

1167
00:54:39,159 --> 00:54:41,320
have to have somebody that can at least be there

1168
00:54:41,599 --> 00:54:44,000
and be available just in case.

1169
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:46,559
Speaker 1: You would almost like they're in a position where you

1170
00:54:46,559 --> 00:54:49,960
would almost want your primary backup to be someone you

1171
00:54:50,039 --> 00:54:52,840
might feel comfortable starting or playing down the stretch. If

1172
00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:55,639
Ayton isn't getting it done for you, I'll say, defensively.

1173
00:54:55,400 --> 00:54:59,760
Speaker 2: Right there, exactly, no, no, exactly, And I hope you

1174
00:54:59,800 --> 00:55:02,360
don't ask me who is that guy, because I don't

1175
00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:03,159
have to go out there.

1176
00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:04,840
Speaker 1: I mean, it comes down to just like, well, what

1177
00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:06,719
assets would they be? I mean, because that's the other

1178
00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:09,360
thing about this team though, is let's say they can

1179
00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:12,320
have an opportunity, like, do we even know like they're

1180
00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:15,079
prioritizing flexibility and also feel like they're trying to wait

1181
00:55:15,199 --> 00:55:18,320
so that they can continue to accumulate tradeable draft picks.

1182
00:55:18,639 --> 00:55:21,280
Would they make a trade that cost them a first

1183
00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:23,079
round pick this season? If I had to pick, I'm

1184
00:55:23,079 --> 00:55:25,239
going to say no. I guess if you're so good

1185
00:55:25,239 --> 00:55:27,840
and so close, sure, But you also have to look

1186
00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,480
at it from their perspective of if the player they're

1187
00:55:30,519 --> 00:55:32,840
acquiring isn't going to close games for them, then you're

1188
00:55:32,840 --> 00:55:35,079
absolutely not in a position to give up a first

1189
00:55:35,159 --> 00:55:37,320
round pick. And I just think that I don't even

1190
00:55:37,320 --> 00:55:38,840
want to say the timeline, but it feels like the

1191
00:55:38,920 --> 00:55:42,079
vision that they've laid out trading a first round pick

1192
00:55:42,599 --> 00:55:45,000
runs in direct contrast to it.

1193
00:55:45,280 --> 00:55:48,320
Speaker 2: I think you're exactly right. They only trade a first

1194
00:55:48,400 --> 00:55:50,760
round pick if they believe this is a move that

1195
00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:55,719
makes us a title team. And we know the difference team. Oh,

1196
00:55:56,199 --> 00:55:59,239
I could squint and see that team win or oh no,

1197
00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:00,800
the Lakers are going to the finals. You know what

1198
00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:02,880
I mean? Like, if it's that type of opportunity, yes

1199
00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:05,519
it's worthwhile, and yes I think they act upon it.

1200
00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:07,280
But if it's a friend, like say it's like a

1201
00:56:07,320 --> 00:56:09,679
Mark Bryant, you know situation, No, they're not going to

1202
00:56:09,719 --> 00:56:12,840
do that again hopefully knocking all the wood.

1203
00:56:12,960 --> 00:56:18,119
Speaker 1: You just call him Mark Bryant. So Thomas Bryant. Uh

1204
00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:20,719
pick for Thomas Bryant. I'm here for it.

1205
00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:23,159
Speaker 2: I completely did, But you know what I mean, Yeah.

1206
00:56:23,079 --> 00:56:25,679
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. What's something about this team that's like

1207
00:56:25,760 --> 00:56:28,239
flying under the radar, not being talked about.

1208
00:56:28,119 --> 00:56:34,599
Speaker 2: Enough that they honestly that they won fifty games last

1209
00:56:34,679 --> 00:56:36,199
year and we're right there in the mixing. Yes, I

1210
00:56:36,280 --> 00:56:39,400
understand the circumstances. There was only a difference between two games,

1211
00:56:39,400 --> 00:56:42,679
and you know between they won me they exactly they

1212
00:56:42,679 --> 00:56:44,639
won fifty games last year. They were right there in

1213
00:56:44,639 --> 00:56:46,599
the mix. And this is a better This is a

1214
00:56:46,679 --> 00:56:50,320
in my estimation, a significantly better roster because you do

1215
00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:52,000
have to factor in that Luca gut and you know

1216
00:56:52,159 --> 00:56:54,079
it is in this in the in the shape that

1217
00:56:54,079 --> 00:56:56,960
he's in compared to last year. It's not even you know,

1218
00:56:57,000 --> 00:57:01,320
not putting extras on it, but just compared to I know,

1219
00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:03,920
the rest of the West got better around them. I

1220
00:57:04,000 --> 00:57:07,159
completely understand that. But I think, I think what it

1221
00:57:07,239 --> 00:57:10,400
really is is this could be one of the rare

1222
00:57:10,519 --> 00:57:13,000
times where the Lakers are flying under the raidar. I

1223
00:57:13,000 --> 00:57:16,119
don't know how that happens, but specifically because you have

1224
00:57:16,199 --> 00:57:19,119
the confluence of people that you know, hate the Lakers

1225
00:57:19,159 --> 00:57:22,760
in general, people that hate a lot of the pieces

1226
00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:24,360
that you know, like that that they were able to

1227
00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:27,880
accumulate or have a vested reason to say like I

1228
00:57:27,920 --> 00:57:29,880
don't want eighton to do well, or I don't want

1229
00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:32,239
you know, Luca or insert you know name you know

1230
00:57:32,320 --> 00:57:35,039
to do well. And the fact that look, we can

1231
00:57:35,079 --> 00:57:37,679
also be honest. Lebron is forty one years old, so

1232
00:57:37,760 --> 00:57:40,239
like you had that, there's also a reason to death.

1233
00:57:41,199 --> 00:57:43,159
But for that reason, I think this is one of

1234
00:57:43,199 --> 00:57:46,800
the few times where it's like, no, like I looked

1235
00:57:46,840 --> 00:57:48,800
at so I looked at some you know, different mocks

1236
00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:51,000
and different conversations about it, and they were people that

1237
00:57:51,039 --> 00:57:53,039
had the Lakers are like the eighth or ninth, you know,

1238
00:57:53,079 --> 00:57:56,559
like you're like like in the West and I thought, Okay, look,

1239
00:57:56,639 --> 00:57:59,400
I'm not being overly sensitive, and yes, obviously things could

1240
00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:01,840
go wrong and it it could be that, but heading in,

1241
00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:05,360
let's be more realistic about it. So I guess that's

1242
00:58:05,719 --> 00:58:06,280
where I'm at.

1243
00:58:06,679 --> 00:58:09,800
Speaker 1: And I think what's flying under the radar is that

1244
00:58:09,840 --> 00:58:13,519
this is not a Boston Celtics level gap year because

1245
00:58:13,519 --> 00:58:15,719
they didn't go out and make this huge splash. It's

1246
00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:18,880
where they just traded for Luca and they should still

1247
00:58:18,920 --> 00:58:20,880
be really good. And even as someone who is, I

1248
00:58:20,880 --> 00:58:22,800
don't I wouldn't say it been critical of their offseason,

1249
00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:25,719
but I've I've had questions about it. What was the

1250
00:58:25,760 --> 00:58:28,800
move out there that they did not make that everyone

1251
00:58:28,800 --> 00:58:30,840
thought was going to transform them? Because I think that's

1252
00:58:30,880 --> 00:58:33,480
important context. And one I see the most is just,

1253
00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:36,440
wellhy wouldn't they just go out and get Walker Kessler? One?

1254
00:58:36,840 --> 00:58:39,000
I don't know if they had enough with the Walker

1255
00:58:39,079 --> 00:58:43,559
Kessler is a generational, generationally effective rim protector. I'm not

1256
00:58:43,599 --> 00:58:45,199
sure the Jazz are just giving him up for a

1257
00:58:45,239 --> 00:58:47,280
first round pick in Dalton, connect I'd probably say no.

1258
00:58:47,559 --> 00:58:50,559
And two, while he is that good of a rim protector,

1259
00:58:50,920 --> 00:58:53,519
he's not the type of big you necessarily want to

1260
00:58:53,519 --> 00:58:56,480
play alongside Luca the entire time, and I don't think

1261
00:58:56,519 --> 00:58:59,000
he would have made them. We're gonna say, yeah, there's

1262
00:58:59,000 --> 00:59:01,280
the Nuggets, the thunder the Lakers, like, I don't think

1263
00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:04,159
that that's what would have happened. So what seems to

1264
00:59:04,159 --> 00:59:06,559
be flying under the raiders that they have. They showed restraint.

1265
00:59:06,800 --> 00:59:10,519
They didn't completely punt on this coming season, and I

1266
00:59:10,559 --> 00:59:11,760
think that's where I'm at.

1267
00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:17,199
Speaker 2: I you know what, if you like it, I love it. No, like, seriously, seriously,

1268
00:59:17,239 --> 00:59:19,920
I agree with you one hundred percent. The Walker Kessler

1269
00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:22,440
of it all. It's it's funny. But when people people

1270
00:59:22,559 --> 00:59:25,639
act like, oh, well, we put it into the trade machine.

1271
00:59:25,639 --> 00:59:27,280
And I know this is you know, commentary that's been

1272
00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:29,639
stated on the podcasts and shows many times. But people

1273
00:59:29,639 --> 00:59:31,079
act like, oh, if we put it into the trade

1274
00:59:31,079 --> 00:59:33,199
machine and it works, well, then it just should have worked.

1275
00:59:33,679 --> 00:59:36,679
First of all, you're dealing with a scenario where the

1276
00:59:36,760 --> 00:59:39,480
Lakers had just come off of a deal that that

1277
00:59:39,599 --> 00:59:43,800
fell through. But reportedly the Jazz felt as though they

1278
00:59:43,800 --> 00:59:46,840
got kind of blindsided. It didn't even recognize that they

1279
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:50,320
you know, excuse me, no, scramy, let me start that

1280
00:59:50,360 --> 00:59:52,840
over again. You're coming off a deal where reportedly the

1281
00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:55,400
Jazz were blindsided and didn't realize that they were assisting

1282
00:59:55,440 --> 00:59:58,079
the Lakers and getting the productions. So let me tell

1283
00:59:58,119 --> 01:00:01,679
you right now, I never believe in because like people

1284
01:00:01,840 --> 01:00:05,599
lie straight out all the time. But no, but if

1285
01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:09,920
that's true. But if that's true, does anyone in their

1286
01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:12,719
right mind think that the that the Utah Jazzer then

1287
01:00:12,800 --> 01:00:15,480
going to turn around and say, hey, let me give

1288
01:00:15,480 --> 01:00:18,800
you a title contender too. Let me let me let

1289
01:00:19,000 --> 01:00:21,280
let you know, I know it's not the perfect you know,

1290
01:00:21,400 --> 01:00:24,400
feel fit alongside Luca, but if you add Walker Kesler

1291
01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:27,079
in this, in the this roster, I'm at least having

1292
01:00:27,079 --> 01:00:29,400
the conversation of Okay, well, you know, hey, what can

1293
01:00:29,480 --> 01:00:31,519
we do? You know what I mean? I don't think

1294
01:00:31,559 --> 01:00:34,719
that was realistic. So yeah, I I I think a

1295
01:00:34,719 --> 01:00:36,920
lot of times people get caught up in like, oh,

1296
01:00:37,000 --> 01:00:40,599
because the Internet's talking about something it was an actual reality,

1297
01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:42,960
when in reality it was just the Internet talking about

1298
01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:43,639
some shit. Man.

1299
01:00:44,719 --> 01:00:48,039
Speaker 1: So how deep do you expect their rotation to run?

1300
01:00:48,079 --> 01:00:49,719
And when you're just mapping out if we're to let's

1301
01:00:49,760 --> 01:00:51,039
fast over to the end of the season, who are

1302
01:00:51,039 --> 01:00:54,159
the ten players that will be most involved in that rotation.

1303
01:00:55,119 --> 01:00:58,159
Speaker 2: I hope that they go you know, nine to ten deep.

1304
01:00:58,400 --> 01:01:02,199
I think they'll probably go eight nine deep. And that's

1305
01:01:02,559 --> 01:01:05,679
even probably me being optimistic the obvious one, you know,

1306
01:01:05,800 --> 01:01:09,880
obviously you know Luca Austin, Marcus Smart Lebron and I'm

1307
01:01:10,000 --> 01:01:13,199
cheating by going off of your notes that you so kind,

1308
01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:15,639
We're so kind this year. You know, you know, you

1309
01:01:15,639 --> 01:01:20,599
know DeAndre Aiden the reserves. Yes, I agree, Ruy and

1310
01:01:20,679 --> 01:01:22,760
Jake will likely be your first, you know, like off

1311
01:01:22,800 --> 01:01:26,400
the bench again, I will say, I am hoping, I

1312
01:01:26,599 --> 01:01:29,800
even if it's unrealistic, I am hoping that you know,

1313
01:01:29,840 --> 01:01:33,840
like you know, Adull can work himself into that same

1314
01:01:33,920 --> 01:01:34,719
you know convers.

1315
01:01:34,440 --> 01:01:36,840
Speaker 1: I think Pete, who's like from Laker Film Room, who

1316
01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:38,639
if he just says anything, I'll just adopt it as

1317
01:01:38,679 --> 01:01:41,519
my own opinion because he's so smart, is like intrigued

1318
01:01:41,519 --> 01:01:43,800
by the idea of him playing small ball five and

1319
01:01:43,840 --> 01:01:45,400
so you know what, when you look at their backup

1320
01:01:45,400 --> 01:01:49,639
five options, I'm like, yeah, just fucking try it, sure.

1321
01:01:49,599 --> 01:01:52,519
Speaker 2: You know, Okay. So that also leads me to another thing.

1322
01:01:52,920 --> 01:01:54,639
I've seen him listen at six six, I've seen him

1323
01:01:54,639 --> 01:01:56,480
listen at six eight. I recognize as a young man.

1324
01:01:56,519 --> 01:01:59,039
He may have grown. If he's legitimately six eight, they

1325
01:01:59,079 --> 01:02:00,519
better find a way to get know, like, get this

1326
01:02:00,559 --> 01:02:02,800
guy worked in here so in some way or if

1327
01:02:02,800 --> 01:02:03,840
he if.

1328
01:02:03,679 --> 01:02:06,280
Speaker 1: He, my response is bam outa bios six y nine.

1329
01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:07,039
So let it happen.

1330
01:02:07,320 --> 01:02:09,599
Speaker 2: Let's go, you know, let's go. So yeah, like all

1331
01:02:09,639 --> 01:02:12,079
of those guys, I hope, you know, like again Ricky,

1332
01:02:12,440 --> 01:02:14,880
I understand that, you know, the restrictions there. I hope

1333
01:02:14,880 --> 01:02:17,039
he's able to work himself in there. But after that,

1334
01:02:17,159 --> 01:02:19,360
it's you know, yeah, it's Gabe Vincent. He's you know,

1335
01:02:19,400 --> 01:02:21,559
he's a solid. I know Lakers fans have been ready

1336
01:02:21,599 --> 01:02:23,199
to get rid of him since he you know, made it,

1337
01:02:23,719 --> 01:02:24,480
made it to the roster.

1338
01:02:24,679 --> 01:02:26,840
Speaker 1: Oh man, I love that sign. When they made it, though,

1339
01:02:27,320 --> 01:02:29,800
if he gave him so much, so much credit for it.

1340
01:02:29,880 --> 01:02:33,480
Speaker 2: And and you know what, it sounded good. It sounded good.

1341
01:02:33,800 --> 01:02:35,320
And then all of a sudden he's no longer in

1342
01:02:35,519 --> 01:02:39,480
that Miami health situation and uh, he's not able to

1343
01:02:39,519 --> 01:02:46,760
stay healthy initially, Yeah, Air quotes on that. I think

1344
01:02:47,079 --> 01:02:51,840
the end of the rotation is likely. It's likely not

1345
01:02:51,880 --> 01:02:53,880
going to see the court very much, whether it's Jered

1346
01:02:53,960 --> 01:02:58,000
Vanderbilt Maxi Kleeber or you know Dalton connect I recognized,

1347
01:02:58,039 --> 01:03:00,559
I did not mention him. I I don't want it

1348
01:03:00,599 --> 01:03:02,599
to sound like I'm so low on him where I'm like, oh,

1349
01:03:02,639 --> 01:03:04,800
get this guy off the Russer. I'm just saying that

1350
01:03:04,840 --> 01:03:11,599
it seems like they are so.

1351
01:03:09,159 --> 01:03:12,519
Speaker 1: So this is to some extent matchup dependent. But what

1352
01:03:12,559 --> 01:03:14,519
do you think will wind up being their most used

1353
01:03:14,559 --> 01:03:16,960
closing unit? Do you default to the starting five or

1354
01:03:16,960 --> 01:03:19,920
do you think that JJ Reddick is gonna fuck not

1355
01:03:20,039 --> 01:03:23,440
fox in fiddle with one or two of those spots.

1356
01:03:24,280 --> 01:03:26,960
Speaker 2: I think it ends up being a combination of obviously

1357
01:03:27,039 --> 01:03:30,360
Luca Lebron, probably Aiden, but like you know, like we

1358
01:03:30,519 --> 01:03:33,000
gonna mentioned earlier, it's going to be dependent upon how

1359
01:03:33,039 --> 01:03:39,079
effective he's been Austin and either Smart or La Ravia

1360
01:03:39,639 --> 01:03:44,639
or even Ruby, dependent upon who's like, who's flowing, who's

1361
01:03:44,639 --> 01:03:46,719
got the better matchup, and who's got it going on

1362
01:03:46,760 --> 01:03:47,360
a given night.

1363
01:03:48,119 --> 01:03:50,280
Speaker 1: They seem like, and I hope I don't say this

1364
01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:52,400
about every team, they seem like one of the teams

1365
01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:55,760
that will change their closing unit based on the matchup.

1366
01:03:55,800 --> 01:03:57,519
I think more than most the way that they're like

1367
01:03:57,559 --> 01:04:00,599
the there might be three spots that feel like they're

1368
01:04:00,639 --> 01:04:03,280
penciled in, penciled in stone. My god, I can't talk

1369
01:04:03,320 --> 01:04:05,199
the past two minutes that they're etched in stone.

1370
01:04:05,519 --> 01:04:09,639
Speaker 2: I'm with you, no, I agree with you. Like it

1371
01:04:10,000 --> 01:04:13,440
beyond those three guys, it really is probably like, Okay,

1372
01:04:13,920 --> 01:04:16,440
who's got it today? Who's got it? You know? And

1373
01:04:17,519 --> 01:04:19,800
I hate to always refer back to twenty twenty, I

1374
01:04:19,800 --> 01:04:22,599
know people whatever, but like that's how they won that year.

1375
01:04:22,719 --> 01:04:25,800
It wasn't like, oh, okay, like this is the starting

1376
01:04:25,920 --> 01:04:27,840
or this is the starting and closing five. It was

1377
01:04:28,000 --> 01:04:30,719
who's playing well right now? And if you're not, take

1378
01:04:30,719 --> 01:04:33,880
a seat, support your team and go on about But really,

1379
01:04:33,920 --> 01:04:35,320
like that's what I feel like it is gonna be

1380
01:04:35,320 --> 01:04:35,639
the case.

1381
01:04:36,679 --> 01:04:38,960
Speaker 1: Is there a weird o lineup? You are hoping that

1382
01:04:39,079 --> 01:04:40,519
JJ Reddick tries out this year?

1383
01:04:41,039 --> 01:04:43,599
Speaker 2: All right, I think I've already kind of put it

1384
01:04:43,599 --> 01:04:47,320
out there, but it's very clear I want my man

1385
01:04:48,679 --> 01:04:53,039
in the mix. But so let me get Marcus Smart

1386
01:04:53,199 --> 01:05:00,559
alongside Luca next to la Rabia ad an eighteen. Now

1387
01:05:00,599 --> 01:05:03,000
I'm saying I want this lineup when Lebron takes his

1388
01:05:03,079 --> 01:05:05,760
first rest in the you know or in the you know,

1389
01:05:05,880 --> 01:05:11,000
late late first quarter give me surround Luca with rangy

1390
01:05:11,119 --> 01:05:14,039
guys that can defend, run the court and be lobb

1391
01:05:14,119 --> 01:05:17,280
and be lob options. Let me see what it looks like.

1392
01:05:18,400 --> 01:05:20,880
Speaker 1: Mine would actually be just subing Lebron for eight And

1393
01:05:21,480 --> 01:05:24,039
let's get to a dude playing the small ball five

1394
01:05:24,039 --> 01:05:26,119
of the time. I mean, with him La Rabia smart,

1395
01:05:26,639 --> 01:05:28,119
that should be a lot of guys who in fury

1396
01:05:28,159 --> 01:05:31,400
can defend defensively. I just want to see it.

1397
01:05:31,639 --> 01:05:32,719
Speaker 2: Why not, I'm here for it.

1398
01:05:32,840 --> 01:05:35,400
Speaker 1: Look, I'm willing if you're if you're concerned about defense,

1399
01:05:35,719 --> 01:05:37,960
you can throw Bronni James in there for Lebron and

1400
01:05:38,239 --> 01:05:40,760
call it. We'll call it the defensive upgrade.

1401
01:05:41,320 --> 01:05:43,280
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna take that shot. I'm not I'm not

1402
01:05:43,320 --> 01:05:46,639
gonna take debate. I'm not gonna take it. But in

1403
01:05:46,679 --> 01:05:50,159
a preseason game. Sure? So?

1404
01:05:50,840 --> 01:05:52,639
Speaker 1: Is there before we I force you to make some

1405
01:05:52,679 --> 01:05:55,280
predictions and we close this out, is there anything else

1406
01:05:55,320 --> 01:05:58,679
we haven't discussed that you think needs to be talked about?

1407
01:05:59,760 --> 01:06:01,800
Speaker 2: Yeah? Really, I mean, I you know again, like I'm

1408
01:06:01,880 --> 01:06:04,800
I'm I'm generally caustiously optimistic when it comes to the Lakers.

1409
01:06:04,840 --> 01:06:06,320
I know that at the very least they are going

1410
01:06:06,320 --> 01:06:07,840
to be a part of the conversation. I'm just hoping

1411
01:06:07,840 --> 01:06:11,360
it's a it's a fun part of it. I think

1412
01:06:12,159 --> 01:06:15,119
I think, uh, you know, I think they're gonna be

1413
01:06:15,119 --> 01:06:18,360
competitive in a in a very competitive Western conference, and

1414
01:06:18,480 --> 01:06:20,360
the hope is that they do something to continue to

1415
01:06:20,400 --> 01:06:22,320
improve the roster so that they can be in that

1416
01:06:22,360 --> 01:06:25,639
final mix. They're that top three mix, because it's anybody's

1417
01:06:25,639 --> 01:06:29,199
ball game if you're at least in that. But yeah, no,

1418
01:06:29,400 --> 01:06:33,480
like heading in, I'm excited about it, and uh, you know,

1419
01:06:33,679 --> 01:06:35,679
just want everybody to be out there when it matters.

1420
01:06:36,000 --> 01:06:38,199
Speaker 1: Is there like a big that you've thought about as

1421
01:06:38,239 --> 01:06:40,199
because they could basically assuming they would have to mess

1422
01:06:40,239 --> 01:06:41,920
with their books a little bit, but they could. They're

1423
01:06:41,920 --> 01:06:44,119
in a spot where if their payroll holds or they

1424
01:06:44,119 --> 01:06:46,480
cut a little bit, they could sign anybody. I'm a

1425
01:06:46,519 --> 01:06:48,760
buy out market midseason. Have you identified a big that

1426
01:06:48,800 --> 01:06:51,280
you Is it Nicole Avutovitch that's not going to give

1427
01:06:51,280 --> 01:06:53,920
you much defense even though he'd be another floor spacer

1428
01:06:54,000 --> 01:06:56,840
in there. There's just like a center that you're hoping like, yeah, like,

1429
01:06:56,920 --> 01:06:58,559
let's hope he shakes loose mid season.

1430
01:06:58,840 --> 01:07:02,280
Speaker 2: It it it the buy out realistic options. It would

1431
01:07:02,360 --> 01:07:04,960
probably be be Voochs. But I am one of those

1432
01:07:04,960 --> 01:07:09,079
people that still wants Nick Claxon. I think he just

1433
01:07:09,280 --> 01:07:11,679
fits so much of what they would you know, what

1434
01:07:12,000 --> 01:07:16,639
they could use obviously, you know they're not easy ways

1435
01:07:16,639 --> 01:07:20,000
to make that happen. You're dealing with human beings. Who

1436
01:07:20,039 --> 01:07:22,400
knows if he would be willing to you know, you know,

1437
01:07:22,559 --> 01:07:25,360
you go from a starting role to a staggered role.

1438
01:07:25,599 --> 01:07:27,639
The guy that you probably would close with the Lakers

1439
01:07:27,639 --> 01:07:31,519
if you know, if you were here, you know, Nick,

1440
01:07:31,559 --> 01:07:33,400
in case you ever watched this, Hey, Nick, you know

1441
01:07:34,800 --> 01:07:37,159
you know he's sitting next to JJ right now. They're

1442
01:07:37,199 --> 01:07:39,960
gonna I don't know how they're they're in the live feed,

1443
01:07:40,039 --> 01:07:41,960
but they're already on this. So yeah, Nick, know what

1444
01:07:42,000 --> 01:07:45,559
it is. No, somebody like that is still what I

1445
01:07:45,599 --> 01:07:46,880
hope they wind up doing.

1446
01:07:47,760 --> 01:07:50,360
Speaker 1: I this is more of a trade candidate, and he

1447
01:07:50,440 --> 01:07:52,719
makes less than like a Gay Vincent or a Maxi Kleiba.

1448
01:07:52,800 --> 01:07:54,320
So I don't know what you need to sweeten it,

1449
01:07:54,360 --> 01:07:57,039
but I would be interested to see what Jalen Smith

1450
01:07:57,679 --> 01:07:59,280
looks like in l A kind of more of a

1451
01:07:59,280 --> 01:08:01,719
floor space than going to be that traditional lob threat.

1452
01:08:01,760 --> 01:08:04,239
But I think he can do some things on defense

1453
01:08:04,239 --> 01:08:07,079
at least be moved around. That would be like, and

1454
01:08:07,119 --> 01:08:09,400
just as someone who's not going to nuke your future payroll,

1455
01:08:09,400 --> 01:08:11,559
and that seems actually gettable because who the heck knows

1456
01:08:11,599 --> 01:08:13,760
what Chicago is going to end up doing. I would

1457
01:08:13,760 --> 01:08:15,239
be interested to see that. And I also, just as

1458
01:08:15,280 --> 01:08:17,479
a flyer, I don't know why the Pelicans would help

1459
01:08:17,560 --> 01:08:20,159
them out. This is I this is not me being

1460
01:08:20,199 --> 01:08:23,319
an a hole. Karlo Makovic in New Orleans is sign

1461
01:08:23,479 --> 01:08:25,520
kind of a stretch guy that actually has real pop.

1462
01:08:26,279 --> 01:08:28,960
I think. I'm just I'd be curious what's to take

1463
01:08:29,000 --> 01:08:30,840
to get him. And then would the Lakers play him?

1464
01:08:30,840 --> 01:08:32,720
That's a different story. But he had some moments towards

1465
01:08:32,720 --> 01:08:34,119
the end of like the Talent of last season, and

1466
01:08:34,199 --> 01:08:36,520
I was just like, now they have Derek Queen to

1467
01:08:36,600 --> 01:08:37,960
have eaves me see, I'm not sure how much he's

1468
01:08:37,960 --> 01:08:40,159
gonna actually play with Cavon Looney too, So I'm like, oh,

1469
01:08:40,279 --> 01:08:42,399
is he is he gettable? But for a team like

1470
01:08:42,399 --> 01:08:44,520
the Lakers, it's would they actually play him?

1471
01:08:44,600 --> 01:08:46,359
Speaker 2: What are you gonna do with him? I should just

1472
01:08:46,359 --> 01:08:48,800
specify when I mentioned Nick Klaxon, I wasn't talking about

1473
01:08:48,840 --> 01:08:49,680
as a bio candidates.

1474
01:08:49,680 --> 01:08:51,359
Speaker 1: Oh no, yeah, no, I know, I know for sure.

1475
01:08:51,439 --> 01:08:53,880
Yeah yeah, I mean, you know who'd be interesting. I

1476
01:08:53,920 --> 01:08:55,079
just don't know how you get him. As if the

1477
01:08:55,399 --> 01:08:57,920
Knicks decide to move on for Mitchell Robinson.

1478
01:08:58,119 --> 01:09:01,720
Speaker 2: Hey, you know, I could see a scenario where they do,

1479
01:09:01,800 --> 01:09:04,199
but I mean like that would be you know, steps

1480
01:09:04,560 --> 01:09:08,239
steps down the road. If you can give Mitchell Robson, yeah, hey,

1481
01:09:08,640 --> 01:09:10,640
bring me back because we having a different conversation. My

1482
01:09:10,760 --> 01:09:14,079
you know, my level of optimism would go significantly higher.

1483
01:09:14,720 --> 01:09:16,399
Speaker 1: And you know what a biout candidate. I'm surprised I

1484
01:09:16,399 --> 01:09:18,039
should be mentioning his name for any team that needs

1485
01:09:18,079 --> 01:09:21,800
a center. Rob Williams r W three in Portland. Just

1486
01:09:21,880 --> 01:09:25,039
you have young, handsome, young Caynson but young handsome and

1487
01:09:25,319 --> 01:09:28,640
Donovan Klingon if they don't plan on resigning him, like

1488
01:09:28,680 --> 01:09:30,800
and maybe maybe they're moving him, but maybe he gets

1489
01:09:30,800 --> 01:09:32,439
moved as part of another trade and then brought out.

1490
01:09:32,520 --> 01:09:34,880
That is someone who if he ends up being a

1491
01:09:34,880 --> 01:09:40,039
buyout candidate, if he is seventy five percent healthy, just

1492
01:09:40,079 --> 01:09:42,039
an ideal fit alongside Luca.

1493
01:09:42,359 --> 01:09:44,680
Speaker 2: When they were talking about him in the summer as

1494
01:09:44,720 --> 01:09:47,640
a move that they were going to make, I didn't

1495
01:09:47,680 --> 01:09:49,600
want it, but you talked to me about a as

1496
01:09:49,640 --> 01:09:53,279
a buyout candidate. Exactly, take a flyer on it. What's

1497
01:09:53,319 --> 01:09:55,199
the worst, you know, what's the worst that could possibly

1498
01:09:55,239 --> 01:09:57,600
happen like that? That would be incredible. So yeah, like

1499
01:09:58,159 --> 01:10:01,359
so if you do to answer your US, top of

1500
01:10:01,399 --> 01:10:03,239
the you know, the top person I would want would

1501
01:10:03,279 --> 01:10:06,359
be a guy like Rob Williams, then maybe like a

1502
01:10:06,840 --> 01:10:09,880
who's I'm talking about? Biocn Is? Then maybe like a Vusevich,

1503
01:10:09,960 --> 01:10:12,159
you know, the guilt deal if they're actually making a

1504
01:10:12,239 --> 01:10:15,600
move Nick Claxon, because like I said, I do think that.

1505
01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:18,840
Speaker 1: He would be he would be gn He is so

1506
01:10:18,880 --> 01:10:21,439
switchable on defense, he would be gnarly.

1507
01:10:21,720 --> 01:10:29,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, Nick Claxton, Claston, Lebron Laravia Luke obviously and smart

1508
01:10:30,279 --> 01:10:32,399
on the like on the court at a time, or

1509
01:10:32,560 --> 01:10:35,159
like any variation of what we just said, like yeah,

1510
01:10:35,199 --> 01:10:38,319
that would be yeah, I will be here for that.

1511
01:10:38,840 --> 01:10:41,159
Speaker 1: How many games do you have this team winning and

1512
01:10:41,199 --> 01:10:43,760
where do you see them finishing in the you know,

1513
01:10:43,880 --> 01:10:45,600
the larger Western Conference picture.

1514
01:10:46,159 --> 01:10:48,840
Speaker 2: If they make a move, a consolidation move, a move

1515
01:10:48,880 --> 01:10:52,000
to strengthen you know, maybe they don't have ten you know,

1516
01:10:52,399 --> 01:10:53,960
rotation guys. But now all of a sudden you've got

1517
01:10:54,000 --> 01:10:56,399
eight solid guys and then you know, backups or whatever.

1518
01:10:58,560 --> 01:11:01,000
I think they'll fall in that you know, three to

1519
01:11:01,119 --> 01:11:04,920
four range. If they don't and they just stay as is,

1520
01:11:05,359 --> 01:11:07,640
because I'm not one that's gonna say like, oh this

1521
01:11:07,680 --> 01:11:10,760
is gonna work, and this is gonna work, I'll temper

1522
01:11:10,840 --> 01:11:13,920
things and I'll say somewhere in that five six ish

1523
01:11:14,159 --> 01:11:19,079
type range, I think they're like, ultimately, stay out of

1524
01:11:19,119 --> 01:11:22,520
the plan in and and and you're obviously much better

1525
01:11:22,560 --> 01:11:25,760
suited you You have a you probably have a much

1526
01:11:25,760 --> 01:11:29,159
easier path to the postseason because you don't want to.

1527
01:11:29,199 --> 01:11:31,600
You know, you don't need Okay see in the first round.

1528
01:11:31,680 --> 01:11:34,319
You don't need Denver in the first round. You don't

1529
01:11:34,359 --> 01:11:36,800
need Houston in the first round. If you can avoid

1530
01:11:36,840 --> 01:11:39,479
those like you're eventually gonna have to play at least one.

1531
01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:41,439
It's not two of those got you know, two of

1532
01:11:41,479 --> 01:11:43,520
those teams. But if you can avoid them in the

1533
01:11:43,560 --> 01:11:46,359
first round and get your and get yourself and get

1534
01:11:46,359 --> 01:11:49,479
yourself situated, well, then it's into anybody's ball game. Answer is,

1535
01:11:49,520 --> 01:11:52,000
I think they're gonna win anywhere between fifty and fifty

1536
01:11:52,000 --> 01:11:55,000
three games. Big you know, big surprise right around the

1537
01:11:55,039 --> 01:11:57,680
same level of last year, even though I think that

1538
01:11:57,720 --> 01:12:00,359
they're significantly improved. As I mentioned, I think the rest

1539
01:12:00,359 --> 01:12:03,760
of the conference also improved, so in terms of in

1540
01:12:03,840 --> 01:12:06,880
terms of the actual seting, it might be another scenario

1541
01:12:06,880 --> 01:12:09,079
where we've got like all of those teams bunched up

1542
01:12:09,279 --> 01:12:11,439
once again, and you know, then it's just like a

1543
01:12:11,520 --> 01:12:12,560
rustling roulette situation.

1544
01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:17,600
Speaker 1: Good luck putting on your playoff goggles and you can't

1545
01:12:17,600 --> 01:12:19,399
pick the thunder. So I feel like that would be answer.

1546
01:12:19,479 --> 01:12:21,439
What's a matchup that you either find for the Lakers

1547
01:12:21,439 --> 01:12:24,439
that would be intriguing concerning wherever, wherever you want to

1548
01:12:24,479 --> 01:12:25,000
take it.

1549
01:12:27,319 --> 01:12:31,359
Speaker 2: Houston. And the reason is is because I am in

1550
01:12:31,439 --> 01:12:37,800
the minority. Whereas while yes, to be clear, because actually

1551
01:12:37,880 --> 01:12:42,319
KD might listen to this or gets it gets aggregated.

1552
01:12:41,920 --> 01:12:44,680
Speaker 1: Ibe he would who knows what.

1553
01:12:44,600 --> 01:12:47,520
Speaker 2: I'm saying, KD is, you're one of my favorite players

1554
01:12:47,560 --> 01:12:51,279
they ever played a game the last few years. The impact,

1555
01:12:51,319 --> 01:12:54,840
the actual like you like, the tangible impact that can

1556
01:12:54,880 --> 01:12:59,279
be that we can see has not been that. I

1557
01:12:59,359 --> 01:13:02,039
look at that and I go, They've got a lot

1558
01:13:02,039 --> 01:13:05,159
of intriguing parts and on paper they look great, but

1559
01:13:05,239 --> 01:13:08,680
they might also be paper champs. So until you know,

1560
01:13:08,840 --> 01:13:11,720
and until so until they you know, they proved me

1561
01:13:11,760 --> 01:13:13,960
wrong and win sixty five games and go into the

1562
01:13:14,000 --> 01:13:16,600
postseason looking like a looking like a shredder. That's the

1563
01:13:16,720 --> 01:13:20,399
you know, that's a matchup that's intriguing to me. Yeah,

1564
01:13:20,600 --> 01:13:21,960
of the big names of the big.

1565
01:13:21,880 --> 01:13:24,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean just because their shooting guard is bigger

1566
01:13:24,439 --> 01:13:26,760
than the Lakers backup center at this point, I think so.

1567
01:13:28,199 --> 01:13:31,000
Speaker 2: Not ideal. And we saw and we saw what happens

1568
01:13:31,039 --> 01:13:33,279
when you you go in with talented players that are

1569
01:13:33,359 --> 01:13:34,760
under significantly entersized.

1570
01:13:34,960 --> 01:13:39,840
Speaker 1: Just last year, mister jabbari A Davis I Heart podcast

1571
01:13:39,880 --> 01:13:43,720
producer extraordinary. Can I get one more prediction for the

1572
01:13:43,760 --> 01:13:46,479
Lakers this coming season? It can be whatever you want.

1573
01:13:46,800 --> 01:13:49,039
Speaker 2: Got you. Luca is going to win his first m

1574
01:13:49,119 --> 01:13:53,720
v P and DeAndre Ayton he's not going to win it,

1575
01:13:53,920 --> 01:13:56,760
but you know how these conversations go, He's going to

1576
01:13:56,800 --> 01:13:59,600
be in the conversation for most improved. Whether that is

1577
01:13:59,640 --> 01:14:03,439
a real statement or not, he will be because the

1578
01:14:03,479 --> 01:14:06,159
conversation around him will be that much better.

1579
01:14:06,239 --> 01:14:08,199
Speaker 1: Yeah, does he have betting odds for that?

1580
01:14:08,720 --> 01:14:11,000
Speaker 2: Because I got him at I got him at plus

1581
01:14:11,079 --> 01:14:16,159
forty thousand, I got him at plus forty thousand.

1582
01:14:16,720 --> 01:14:19,159
Speaker 1: It's the I mean, there's the he's gonna get the

1583
01:14:19,199 --> 01:14:21,880
Lake thirty four nationally televised games, right, So if he

1584
01:14:21,960 --> 01:14:23,880
plays well and like a good amount of those, the

1585
01:14:23,960 --> 01:14:27,000
voters will see it and there's a chance that his

1586
01:14:27,119 --> 01:14:29,760
numbers just explode. Would he be the I'm trying to

1587
01:14:29,760 --> 01:14:32,079
think of who's the last person that would have He's

1588
01:14:32,119 --> 01:14:35,239
kind of at this career pinnacle shrinks down and then

1589
01:14:35,359 --> 01:14:37,039
comes back and wins most And I don't know if

1590
01:14:37,039 --> 01:14:39,720
that there's that because normally the trajectory is it's the

1591
01:14:39,800 --> 01:14:42,680
guy they want, everyone wants to identify, like the next star.

1592
01:14:42,720 --> 01:14:45,880
It's never gonna be when okay, there it is.

1593
01:14:45,840 --> 01:14:48,880
Speaker 2: Hold on, I'm gonna bring up this, but it's Julius Randall.

1594
01:14:48,680 --> 01:14:52,119
Speaker 1: That Yeah, No, it's absolutely him, that's correct. I don't know,

1595
01:14:52,199 --> 01:14:54,479
you know, his pinnacle before that though, is never eight

1596
01:14:54,479 --> 01:14:57,000
in level, right, because there was a point where people

1597
01:14:57,039 --> 01:14:59,000
thought he was a top five center. I don't think

1598
01:14:59,000 --> 01:15:02,039
he ever was, but there was a point where people felt.

1599
01:15:01,800 --> 01:15:05,319
Speaker 2: That his expectations weren't quite the same. But I would

1600
01:15:05,359 --> 01:15:07,960
say in terms of effectiveness, in terms of like what

1601
01:15:08,000 --> 01:15:09,640
they did out there, it was it was it was

1602
01:15:09,680 --> 01:15:13,399
close enough to where he's probably the best or most

1603
01:15:13,520 --> 01:15:17,119
likely you could say Laurie Markinen, you know when he

1604
01:15:17,159 --> 01:15:19,279
finally got you know, even more of an opportunity, well

1605
01:15:19,279 --> 01:15:21,840
finally sayed healthy enough to win it in twenty twenty three.

1606
01:15:22,279 --> 01:15:25,600
But you was probably the guy that, uh that fits

1607
01:15:25,640 --> 01:15:26,159
the bill.

1608
01:15:26,359 --> 01:15:32,359
Speaker 1: So there's precedent. Yep Jabari, this was great as always.

1609
01:15:32,359 --> 01:15:34,319
Are you just able to tell our audience where they

1610
01:15:34,319 --> 01:15:36,640
could find you and all the fantastic work that you're

1611
01:15:36,640 --> 01:15:37,520
doing right now.

1612
01:15:38,079 --> 01:15:43,760
Speaker 2: Dan, I I swear I actually mean these platitudes every year.

1613
01:15:43,800 --> 01:15:46,399
This is fantastic every year. This is an honor. I

1614
01:15:46,760 --> 01:15:50,039
like anybody that listens to this show, watches the show,

1615
01:15:50,119 --> 01:15:52,199
pays attention to the you know, like the quality content

1616
01:15:52,279 --> 01:15:55,760
that you you'll produce, whether you'll be a Bleacher Report

1617
01:15:55,840 --> 01:15:58,439
or the Fanta, all of it is fantastic. So being

1618
01:15:58,479 --> 01:16:01,039
able to have these basketball conversation with you, it is great.

1619
01:16:01,119 --> 01:16:02,880
Like every summer, I look forward to it. So thank

1620
01:16:02,920 --> 01:16:06,000
you all of that. To say, I'm still Lucas Dan Mitched,

1621
01:16:06,000 --> 01:16:08,560
I'm still with iHeart still, you know, working on different shows,

1622
01:16:09,479 --> 01:16:12,560
working on a show called goat h g O t

1623
01:16:12,760 --> 01:16:17,920
E greatest of their era with Seth Curry and Travon Edwards.

1624
01:16:17,920 --> 01:16:20,880
They're fantastic. They have a great conversation, you know, centered

1625
01:16:20,920 --> 01:16:23,000
around basketball, and I get to you know, you know,

1626
01:16:23,039 --> 01:16:25,039
do the supportive stuff you know, you know for that show.

1627
01:16:26,319 --> 01:16:29,439
Speaker 1: Also, when you get Chris Bouche into one of their episodes,

1628
01:16:29,439 --> 01:16:31,520
can you somehow throw an Easter egg in there for me?

1629
01:16:32,960 --> 01:16:35,159
Speaker 2: I will try to find a way. But the thing

1630
01:16:35,199 --> 01:16:37,279
of it is is if even if it's on the page,

1631
01:16:37,319 --> 01:16:38,880
that doesn't necessarily mean they're gonna say it.

1632
01:16:39,119 --> 01:16:40,720
Speaker 1: That's a good test. Then So if you're doing like

1633
01:16:40,800 --> 01:16:43,920
greatest Stretch, big men of their era, you throw Chris

1634
01:16:43,920 --> 01:16:46,920
Bouchet into a list, see if they say it, yeah.

1635
01:16:46,960 --> 01:16:50,680
Speaker 2: Honorable mentioned someway or another. Yeah, I'll do my best.

1636
01:16:50,720 --> 01:16:53,239
But any other than that, other iHeart shows. Doing one

1637
01:16:53,359 --> 01:16:56,960
for cab on stage, uh, doing some background for that.

1638
01:16:57,039 --> 01:16:59,439
It's been a lot of fun. Hopefully I can continue

1639
01:16:59,479 --> 01:17:00,319
to do it.

1640
01:17:00,479 --> 01:17:03,319
Speaker 1: Jabari, I appreciate the kind words. I appreciate you coming

1641
01:17:03,359 --> 01:17:05,560
back every year even more. It's always great to be

1642
01:17:05,560 --> 01:17:07,720
able to pick your brain about this team. I will

1643
01:17:07,760 --> 01:17:10,159
have the link to his social stuff in the YouTube

1644
01:17:10,159 --> 01:17:13,800
and podcast description until next time, And as always, one

1645
01:17:14,479 --> 01:17:16,359
I'm gonna be pestering you again down the line. And

1646
01:17:16,439 --> 01:17:18,560
two shout out frank Ni la China